In-Laws and Outlaws
by Liliumscribe
Summary: Chu Qiao and Yuwen Yue are reunited while negotiating their happily-ever-after and dealing with the fallout of her past choices. A flood crisis becomes the catalyst for a series of XingYue (mis)adventures that have them grappling with the personal and the political. This fic is positioned to continue where the icy lake incident left off.
1. Prologue

**In-Laws and Outlaws: Prologue**

* * *

Yuwen Zhuo did not approve.

Even if the King of Heaven himself came down on a cloud and made a personal appeal on their behalf, he would not change his mind.

His entire demeanour was proof of it. The perpetual scowl that he wore was more pronounced than usual and his tone of voice was sterner than the servants could remember. In the frame of mind that he was in, losing all his upper body limbs would have been preferable to witnessing the complete disaster that his grandson was making of his life.

It had already been poor form that his grandson had exposed himself unnecessarily in Yanbei. Furthermore this same grandson almost lost his life because of a woman. On top of that, said grandson brought that woman… a former slave no less… back to Qing Shan Yuan to live. A slave that had to audacity to kill not just one but three members of the Yuwen clan. Although these men were rather useless human beings that undeniably deserved what was coming to them, they were still family members.

If all of that weren't problematic enough, Yue'er brought back with him an entire army of double-crossing rebels as part of the baggage that came with having her by his side: A rag tag bunch of rebel misfits loyal to nobody but her.

The elderly patriarch shuddered. Goodness only knew when they would all be brutally murdered in their beds.

But the biggest blow of all was when he brought up marriage with her. Marriage! To her of all people! What was Yue'er thinking?

Yuwen Zhuo came to the conclusion that Yue'er wasn't thinking. In fact, he was convinced that his beloved grandson had completely lost his mind. Over a rebel slave!

What kind of madness had inflicted Yue'er?

Of course he was ready with excuses...

"She saved my life, Grandfather!"

"By first putting your life in jeopardy."

"I took a chance by going into Yanbei to rescue the children. It had nothing to do with her."

"That may be. But you stayed on longer than you should and got caught spending time with her."

"Grandfather, it was my choice!"

"Is it your choice too… to defy my wishes and insist on this ridiculous marriage?"

"I would rather not have to do that." Young Master Yue said deferentially. "But if it means losing Xing'er then I would rather quit Qing Shan Yuan and take her with me to live elsewhere."

"You would do that? To me? Because of a woman?"

"She isn't just a woman, grandfather. She's the woman I love."

"Love, love, love… you young people with your talk of love! It makes you selfish and forget your responsibilities."

"Grandfather, I am grateful for all that you've done for me… for raising me and entrusting me with the responsibility of this family and the Eyes of God. But Xing'er is too important to me for me to walk away from. "

"But you can walk away from me, is that it?"

"It isn't an either-or situation. It is not impossible for all of us to live together. But I will never give her up. I lost her 4 years ago, I cannot do that again."

"Yes, to another man."

"That doesn't matter now. It never mattered. She came back to me." _When I needed her the most._

Yuwen Zhuo sighed, despairing at the direction the conversation was taking. What happened to the normally logical, circumspect young man that he raised?

"But why her? You can do better. I am sure there is a very long line of women in this country who would love to be the Young Mistress of Qing Shan Yuan."

"Undoubtedly," Young Master Yue acknowledged wryly, "But they won't be Xing'er."

"What's so special about her?"

The grandson thought a while before giving his answer, "When she's around I breathe and I feel alive. And because of her, I'm a better man."

"You don't make sense, Yue'er. You have the respect of the people, the court and armies but you tell me that a woman who will make you throw all that out of the window, makes you better man?"

"I'm sorry you don't understand, grandfather. I was hoping that of all the people in this world, you would. "

* * *

All things considered, Young Master Yue thought the conversation went reasonably well. At least they conversed for over 10 minutes which was more than he hoped for. Grandfather needed time to take it all in and to his mind, the old man would come around sooner rather than later. He waltzed serenely into his study where the woman at the centre of the family disturbance was waiting for him, preparing his tea in the way that he liked.

"I suppose you overheard everything." His eyes fell on the teacup that was at his usual spot.

She nodded glumly. "That certainly went well,"

"Better than I had expected actually," Yuwen Yue said thoughtfully, calmly putting the cup to his lips.

"Better than you had expected?" She exclaimed. Her eyes were rounder than usual, "I'd hate to see what happens when you have an actual argument."

"Oh that… that was nothing. Grandfather's mellowing with old age. We had a bit of back and forth. He didn't threaten to disown me, he didn't throw you and your men out. Best of all, he didn't actually forbid the match. All in all, a decent result."

"He didn't exactly agree to it either," She noted sourly. "You're prematurely cheerful about the whole thing."

"I am optimistic. It's called 'wearing down one's opponents through persistence'."

"We don't have to be married, you know. I don't mind. I could go back to being your bedchamber maid." She said half jokingly, half seriously.

His reply came sharply as it did quickly, "Would you be content with that? I wouldn't be. I want you to be my woman and my wife, not a slave nor a servant. And our children must never feel like they are offcuts or an afterthought."

On the subject of _our_ children, Chu Qiao could feel herself blushing and her heart racing madly. _That man is so presumptuous. Who said anything about having children with him?_

Fortunately for him, she was too embarrassed and secretly pleased to start a protracted argument about any kind of progeny he was hoping to have with her. So she steered clear of that subject. For the moment at least.

"But I don't want to come between you and your grandfather. I know how much he means to you and you to him."

"I've done everything he's ever wanted me to but on this matter, I will stand my ground."

"He's right about one thing though."

"What's that?"

"You could definitely do better."

Yuwen Yue knitted his eyebrows sternly and leaned over the table. Before she knew what hit her, he planted a quick kiss on her tea flavoured lips.

"After all that we've been through… you go and say a thing like that. Don't you ever dare say that again! Modesty doesn't suit you."

* * *

Wandering around outside Chu Qiao was struck by how little Qing Shan Yuan had changed. It was as if time stood still there. The world outside was on the verge of all out war and here it was… a pocket of picturesque tranquility. Everything was exactly how she remembered it down to the last branch and leaf, radiating an untouched familiarity.

Her room… that she shared with Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba… was like an old acquaintance who had not changed in appearance or character. It had its store of memories to share too. In that room Xiao Ba observed rather astutely at the time that the young master Yue must have liked her so much to go to such lengths for her. She had been pleased and worried at the same time, unsure of how or whether she could reciprocate those feelings. There were many such memories of them discussing the young master of Qing Shan Yuan. Memories of good and evil days as well as many hushed conversations of schemes to survive plots against their lives.

Surprisingly she found a certain comfort in that. Though this was at a time, a place of oppression, slavery and hardship, it was also, on hindsight, a refuge. More importantly it was the place where she grew to care for the young master of the mansion and learnt to trust him. At the time when every single day was a battle to survive, to be free, she didn't always know or understand her feelings for Yuwen Yue but her heart was crushed in an instant when she thought that he had betrayed her. A wiser Xing'er would have understood then how much their lives had become inevitably entwined with one another's. A wiser Xing'er would have demanded an explanation there and then.

Here too she bickered with her most bitter rival among the maids, trained day and night to be a spy and spent hours sparring with the Young Master Yue. It seemed as if she'd come full circle… back to the place where it all started for her and back in the arms of the man who loved her most.

So much misunderstanding, so much heartache. It was all so regrettable.

Chu Qiao didn't wholly regret the journey with all its missteps and detours because from every single experience she was finally able to face the murmurs of her own heart honestly and run back to him with sincerity. The pain she caused him, however, was the most lamentable part in the whole business.

Sitting by the pool and watching the drop of the waterfall no longer as a slave but a free woman, it occurred to her perhaps for the first time that Qing Shan Yuan was the product of Yuwen Yue's personality. It's maintenance and pristine beauty was the end result of his meticulous attention to detail. The harmony and balance of every feature in the back courtyard from the cobblestones to the marble furnishings came from his brilliant mind and his loving heart.

"Are you glad to be back here, Xing'er?" A voice in the background interrupted her reverie.

It was Yue Qi who had almost completely recovered from his injuries sustained while fighting the Yanbei troops at the icy lake.

"Surprisingly, I am. Especially coming from all the troubles that we've seen lately. It's very peaceful here. Much more than when I left it. I had some good memories here."

"Like when the young master made you balance on one foot for hours?"

"He was teaching me."

"Like when he turned you blind?"

"He was training me."

"I'm glad… you understood his intentions… I was never sure if you did." Yue Qi paused and pondered carefully before boldly continuing with his line of thought. Thoughts he'd kept to himself all these years… thoughts that he was only too willing to reveal now that the young master's lady love had returned.

"When the young master thought you had died, he would sit here for hours drinking by himself. Even though he wasn't supposed to be drinking."

"Was he very upset?" It was a rhetorical question of course. They both knew the answer to that. But it gave Yue Qi the opportunity to bring up some home truths. Chu Qiao too had the morbid curiosity of a lover.

"What do you think?" The almost bitter reply was followed by a rare emotional outburst. "I had never seen him so devastated in the years I've been with him. Denied the chance to save you, shook him and changed him. Because of that, he is afraid… no… terrified… that he would miss the opportunity of saving you again. Young Master doesn't say much but he loves you very much."

"I know that now, Yue Qi."

"I… I just thought you should... be informed... because Young Master will never tell you this himself."

"Thank you… for taking care of him all this while."

"Young Master saved my life… taught me everything I know. There is nothing I wouldn't do for him."

 _Yuwen Yue seems to have that effect on people._ Chu Qiao mused. _It's funny… I spent the last few years wanting to protect and save lives but he's been doing this most of his life quietly and behind the scenes. It seems like I have still so much to learn… from him._

It wasn't just her or Yue Qi. There were all his people… the Yue Guards… those from the Afterlife Camp whom he saved like Meng Feng. Prince Yu – Yuan Song. Then there were the undercover agents that made up the Eyes of God as well as the ordinary men and women who bore the brunt of bad decisions made by their rulers. Then of course he convinced his grandfather to set the household slaves free. Those who had remained did it of their own accord.

As she reflected over such matters, the man himself came sauntering into the scene and remarked, "What nonsense has Yue Qi been feeding you now?"

"Nothing much," she said nonchalantly, "We've been talking about the past."

Young Master Yue eyed his devoted lackey with some measure of suspicion. "Really?"

He had more than an inkling that they were talking about more than just the past.

Yue Qi quickly determined that it was time to make his exit. No one could escape the young master's probing eye for long. Besides, he was certain that the young master would rather he wasn't around at this moment as he undoubtedly had things to say to Xing'er that were for her ears only.

He bowed respectfully and asked to be excused. A smile spread over his face as he turned away. To see the young master happy did his heart good. He had waited such a long time to have Xing'er back in Qing Shan Yuan safe and sound.

The young master turned to his unofficial fiancée and made her the object of intense scrutiny.

"Honestly, we were just talking about the past." She protested.

"Why do I think you're both keeping some kind of secret from me?"

"No secrets. Just some desultory chatter about the past." She grinned cheerfully. "I was just reminiscing about my old training regime."

"I imagine you don't miss that," he remarked wryly. "You must have hated me for it."

"Initially perhaps but when I realized what you were trying to do…"

"And what was I trying to do?" He quizzed.

"You wanted me to be safe. To get stronger and better so that I could protect myself and my sisters."

"That was part of it… an important part of it."

"You wanted to groom me so I could be sent on suicide missions." She teased.

He shook his head. "In a way but no."

"That's what you told your grandfather."

"It was," He hesitated, "But it wasn't my true intent."

"You lied to your grandfather?!" She pretended to be horrified but her mood changed when he maintained a serious mien. "What was your true intent then?"

"I… I wanted… you to be someone that would be with me always."

"Yuwen Yue…" Chu Qiao could feel the emotions well up inside her instantly.

"I… My mother… I didn't want the woman I was with to end up like her, helpless and unprotected."

She noted his cheeks muscles tighten momentarily and his eyes went suspiciously red.

"I knew the day you stood outside my gate begging me to let you compete that you were the one for me. But I had to be sure… I needed to be sure.

"Your need to survive was so strong that you were able to endure all the rigours of your training. I… should have told you why I kept you here… I was going to tell you when the time was right… I wanted to tell you that day at the tower pavilion. But you were so angry and hurt... you lashed out… I regretted every day afterwards that I didn't tell you sooner."

 _I was angry but I should have trusted you more._

"Because of what I do, who I am… I knew that the woman… my woman had to be a survivor. To be able to protect herself and our children. It was selfish of me, I know but I couldn't put my family through what my father did. Like it or not, to marry into the Yuwen clan is on some level a suicide mission."

 _There's that thing about children again. Yuwen Yue, as usual you think far ahead of everyone else._

"When I saw you again after thinking you were dead… I thought maybe I could win you back. But you couldn't look me in the eyes and I thought you hated me."

"I thought I did too but I didn't."

"I know. I was sure of it that day when you came to get your freedom certificate. You made a show of wanting to kill me but when I knew you couldn't, I felt hope as I never did before. But I was too proud to beg and I let you walk out of here."

"You don't have to tell me all this. It's all in the past now. There's enough blame to go around between the two of us for our mistakes."

"I'm glad that you're here now but pride aside, I wanted you to choose to come back to this place on your own two feet."

Chu Qiao wrapped her arms around him to reassure and comfort him of her present choices. She had never heard him say this much before. Despite what she said earlier, she rejoiced inwardly that he was opening up to her so honestly and intimately. They lingered in that closeness, contemplating many things. He reveled in it, thankful that they had finally come to this place of understanding.

Suddenly recalling something, he cleared his throat in what sounded to be... embarrassment. He reached into his sleeve and pulled out an ornately carved, lacquered box.

"I have something for you. Open it." He handed it to her.

"A present?"

"You may consider it an engagement present." He said, almost shyly.

"I don't need…"

"Just take it. Open it up and put it on." He barked and slapped the receptacle on the palm of her hand.

She opened the box in anticipation and gushed gleefully on seeing what it was. "It's that snake ring… my ring!"

He cleared his throat again, looking quite uneasy, "I er… found it at the cremation site 4 years ago and had it buried in your grave. I had someone dig it out the other day. It's been cleaned and I've been meaning to give it to you."

"This is perfect." She slipped it onto her first finger and held it up to the sunlight enjoying its gleam. "I have missed it."

She fell back into his embrace with joy, "Thank you so much. This gift I will treasure in memory of the conversation we just had."

Yuwen Yue gave one of his rare smiles and wrapped her in the crook of his arm.

 _I could definitely get accustomed to this._

* * *

Yuwen Zhuo was adamant on maintaining the disapproving grandfather posture. But he was less inclined to disapprove on receiving Yue Qi's report.

"So we're certain she's Luo He's daughter?" He was tapping his fingers on the arm of the wheelchair.

"Yes, Master."

"Does he know? Yue'er, I mean."

"He hasn't said as much but I am sure he must. She saved him after all and witnessed her transformation."

"Can she be trusted? That's the question. I don't want a repeat of history."

"Permission to speak freely sir."

"Go ahead."

"I think we can trust her to act in the interest of Young Master Yue. She jumped into the water, saved his life and broke Yan Xun's ambush. If she didn't care about Young Master, she wouldn't have done any of that."

"That's true."

"And more importantly, she loves the Young Master."

 _Love… that word again…_

Yue Qi saw the old man wince and changed tact quickly. "Practically speaking, it is to our benefit to have the successor of Feng Yun Ling as a member of Qing Shan Yuan. If she marries him, it means the Yuwen clan will have access not only to one of the most formidable forms of martial arts but immense authority in _jianghu_."

"Hmmm… That's a point." The old man stroked his beard pensively. "Alright then, good job on your report. Go back to what you were doing."

When Yue Qi left happy to have done his bit, giving the elder Yuwen much to think about.

 _My grandson and Luo He's daughter… Oh, the ironies of fate. The world is indeed a very small place._

The old man chuckled despite himself.

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

 _Previously posted on Soompi with some minor edits here and there. Many thanks to rampantwolfhound for reminding me that Chu Qiao did kill more than one member of the third branch of the Yuwen clan._


	2. Coming Home

**In-Laws and Outlaws: Coming Home**

Prince Xiang was inclined not to approve.

As a friend, comrade, commander and lord, he could not approve. It boggled his patrician mind that a man like Yuwen Yue would even demean himself over a woman… especially that one in particular. Regardless of the fact that she plucked his friend out of what could have been his icy grave, or the fact that she suddenly managed to wield an incredible legendary power to put a decisive stop to Yan Xun's advance and demolish a quarter of his troops, the match was still a disaster in the making. The 7th prince didn't particularly care what brought on this change of heart that made her switch sides. This kind of uneven romance, to his mind, could only end in tears.

Prince Xiang registered his displeasure by sending his errant friend a lengthy letter declaring his princely disapproval in no uncertain terms. Why would a man from a good family with excellent prospects lower himself for a woman who was unpredictable and impulsive? Something had obviously gone wrong in the scheme of things.

While foolish, His Royal Highness acknowledged that his friend was admittedly a devoted lover, steadfast to the end. With her dubious history of problematic relationships, the lady in question did not deserve his regard but sadly, Yuwen Yue did not seem perturbed by any of it. In fact, it seemed that he was blissfully unaffected by her remarkably checkered past.

Of course Prince Xiang knew what it was that his friend liked about the woman in question. They'd had this conversation on a number of occasions and though Young Master Yue had a brilliant mind in general, he was obstinately unreasonable when it came to that woman. On some grudging level the prince could see the attraction. She was lively, quick-witted, loyal and had proven abilities on the battlefield. Some men would even rate her highly in the beauty stakes. But a woman who was fickle in her choice of men could never be trusted. First, she left Qing Shan Yuan in unseemly haste and then when things got too hot to handle she turned against Yan Xun. There was no telling what she would do now that she had ingratiated herself with the Yuwen clan and had claimed asylum in Wei. Unofficially at least.

Moreover, there was another troubling matter. One that had far-reaching ramifications for the state of Wei. Yuwen Yue had offered to resign from his post as Deputy Commander of the Chang'an garrison to avoid a conflict of interest. He offered to continue supplying intelligence through his Eyes of God network but as he was resolved to undergo matrimony with a woman who was once an enemy combatant, he understood that His Highness was well within his right to dismiss him for an act that could be perceived as a "conflict of interest". This piece of understatement put the prince in an untenable position politically. Yuwen Yue was a rare talent not just in Wei but among all the nation states put together. Clearly Prince Xiang had no intention of letting him go especially when war was on the horizon.

His Highness despaired over this supremely unpatriotic gesture by Yuwen Yue. How can a man put a woman ahead of national interests? It was grotesquely selfish. If the prince had his way, the world would be better served by a Yuwen Yue that was bound by oaths of lifelong celibacy while focused only on service to the state.

Not too far away in the northern district of the city was an elderly gentleman who was undoubtedly in hearty agreement with the prince's sentiments. Prince Xiang might have found solace in a grandfather's woes about the imminent nuptials if he had the luxury of time. Both knew separately, however, that once Yuwen Yue was fixated on something there was no changing of mind with him. For an intelligent man he could be unbelievably recalcitrant.

However much he wanted to, Prince Xiang was unable to give the situation much more thought as other more pressing official matters were brought to his attention. The torrential rains seemed especially relentless that year. Moreover, the southern wing of the palace slated for repair later in the year had to be attended to immediately as roof leaks in two different rooms were troubling the lower ranked concubines of the imperial harem. Urgent requests were coming in almost non-stop for aid at different points in the Yellow River basin. The rapid rise in the level of the Wei River was dangerously close to breaking the embankments so garrison troops had to be deployed to implement countermeasures.

Prince Xiang was not having a good day and it was getting increasingly worse with every hour.

Young Master Yue was not unaware of the waves he had caused in certain quarters. He understood the displeasure he was arousing by bringing Xing'er back to Chang'an and the myriad of problems that awaited them. He had always been prepared to walk away from everything if that meant he could be with her as well as relocating to a place where the two of them could be together with no external interference.

He'd lived his life under the weight of enormous expectations and acquitted himself wonderfully thus far. While he still cared about the country and the people in it, he wanted to dictate the terms of his own life, trying to explore how both duty and personal desire in balance would play out in practical terms. Yuwen Yue had always taken _noblesse oblige_ seriously but he craved love as the means by which he would retain a measure of self. It was the lesson that he learnt from losing Xing'er and respecting her choice to follow her heart.

He knew that those were radical ideas in tumultuous times. He wanted to marry for love and to be able to protect the woman he loved at close quarters. This put him in sharp conflict with the prevailing wisdom. The young master wanted to prove that tradition and duty did not need to be at odds with personal desire. Love gave him wings to think outside convention… not to be bound to the expectations of others and to take ownership of his own choices. Little did anyone realize that these tumultuous times would become the soil in which such a radical shift would take root and sprout.

* * *

He Xiao felt the irony of his position. As commander of the Xiuli battalion he had found himself on various sides of this never ending conflict, not always knowing which side was the right one to be on. As a soldier he understood what it meant to take orders and follow but finding his own way was new to him. In this past year, the Xiuli battalion had been used, abused, mocked, scorned and cast aside by both sides when they had served their purpose. They were denounced as rebels by all sides and yet not always because they made that choice. But they chose to follow Lady Chu to the ends of the earth as her commitment to them in all circumstances merited their loyalty to her.

Now they were displaced wanderers rejected wherever they went. Condemned to an existence of not being trusted by any on a political stage much bigger than they. For some it might seem to be a high price to pay for survival.

Lady Chu had chosen to follow her heart, while they in turn chose to follow her wherever those choices took her, gladly bearing the burden of protecting her ideals. Now they were back at Wei, once again under a cloud of suspicion and mistrust. Not being welcomed anywhere was becoming something of a habit for the Xiuli men.

At the height of irony, they were quartered in rooms where slaves once slept and labored. The wet weather had not allowed them an opportunity to build extra room in the interim so the once slave quarters became their temporary domicile. Those slaves had been set free some time earlier and those had chosen to remain at Qing Shan Yuan did so by choice... in gratitude or for the love of the master of the household. For a large mansion, there weren't many servants so the Xiuli men were always expecting to fend for themselves, as they were accustomed to doing. They had never received special treatment elsewhere so they certainly did not expect it here.

To their enormous surprise they were well looked after during the fortnight that they had settled in this place. Cooked meals and decent bedding were provided. On some evenings the Young Master Yue would make an appearance with Lady Chu, breaking bread with them and even partaking in post-dinner revelries, which were mostly comprised of personal anecdotes about various military misadventures and badly sung ballads about Yanbei.

Despite the precarious nature of their position in enemy territory, the atmosphere, more than any in the past year, reminded He Xiao of home… and something of family.

He Xiao found the Lady Chu and her man a fascinating pair to observe. As a man who had spent most of his time in the military and very little time with women, he thought them a devoted couple already. It was illuminating to see Lady Chu in a very different context away from the battlefield demonstrating her feminine side with a man she had chosen to follow. What kind of man, he had wondered more than once, would be capable of appreciating Lady Chu Qiao and would gain her respect to this degree. Even while Prince Yan Xun was clearly in love with her, she never seemed to play the role of the lover with him. At least not in the way she was with Young Master Yue.

Everyone had believed that Lady Chu was Yan Xun's woman. He Xiao himself was convinced of it for a time. What woman would remain by the side of a man even at the cost of being labeled a rebel unless she had some emotional attachment to him? But true to form, Lady Chu wasn't like other women. He Xiao came to realize that her relationship with Prince Yan Xun was complex. It wasn't ultimately about love although there was sympathy. They were tethered to each other fundamentally by a need to be free. At least on her part. That need, however, took them to different places.

"Are you and the men comfortable here?"

While the other men were indulging in simple frivolities, Chu Qiao noticed that He Xiao was sitting on his own. She went and sat next to him to keep him company while everyone else was absorbed in Young Master Yue's playing.

"It's not ideal but hopefully when the wet weather passes, Yuwen Yue plans to add another wing to this building."

"It's fine, Lady Chu. The men and I are grateful to the young master… and to you, of course. I'm sure that he is putting us up for your sake."

"I'm afraid I can't take any credit. All of this was his idea." She smiled and turned to look at the young master affectionately. "I didn't have to ask. He just knew."

"He is a good man."

Chu Qiao beamed with heartfelt pleasure. "The best."

He Xiao saw the reaction and smiled, "It's good to see you happy, Lady Chu, especially after all you've been through in the past year. Clearly you were both were meant to be together… a match made in heaven."

"You think so?" The lady's eyes were twinkling. "I didn't think so for the longest time."

"He respects you and understands you very well."

The lady nodded. "It's true. But our journey has been a long and complicated one."

It was some time before He Xiao spoke again. "My father used to say to me that the things in life worth living for don't come easily. Often we have to fight for them and overcome so much in order to attain them."

"Your father was a wise man."

"The best." He Xiao acknowledged. "I miss him."

"Do you miss Yanbei much?"

"Sometimes," The Xiuli commander had a faraway look in his eyes. "But it's mostly the Yanbei of my childhood that I miss. The Yanbei that I went back to was not the place I knew. It wasn't home."

"What is home?" The lady pondered.

"With all that's happened I've learnt that home isn't a place as such but it's about the people in it. Without those people… it's just land... or a structure… Those things have their place but look at us… When we went back to Yanbei, we were reviled and treated as foreigners even though that was the land where we were born. No, a familiar piece of dirt doesn't make a place home."

On that note, both fell silent and were soon too caught up in their own ruminations to continue the conversation. Chu Qiao meditated long and hard on the commander's words as her eyes met those of the man across the crowded room playing a soulful melody that reminded her of what she'd gained.

* * *

Yuwen Zhuo was disgruntled. These past weeks he'd been spending more and more time in the secret hideout. An old man needed some kind of refuge from the madness that was going on in his backyard. The incessant downpour too was grating on his nerves. Still he was thankful for small mercies with the wet weather keeping him away from the riffraff that were lurking outside his door and they from him. Mostly he was thankful that he didn't have to deal with that girl… Luo He's daughter. For a woman, she took too many liberties and he certainly didn't care for the sportive manner in which she spoke to his grandson. It wasn't genteel and not becoming of a granddaughter-in-law of the Yuwen clan much less the future mistress of Qing Shan Yuan.

There was always a chance too that she was going to fill the house with more undesirables. Their ancestors must be turning in the family crypt.

He could hear their chatter outside his private space interspersed with shouts of laughter. Yuwen Zhuo huffed into his beard. Yue'er must have brought her into the secret passage from the sound of things. That boy was going to send him to an early grave. Not only was he throwing aside at least a hundred years of family tradition and he was far too trusting of the upstart interloper.

"Oh really? He blew the whole place up?"

"I'd never seen him more terrified."

"Did he really think that the Eyes of God was just an archive of secrets?"

"Well, he was led to believe that it was just an archive of secrets."

"Yuwen Yue, underneath that mask of austerity, you're just a mischievous prankster."

"You've only just discovered that?"

The grandfather clenched the roots of his beard agitated. Those furrowed eyebrows were fast becoming a permanent fixture in recent days. _How dare she talk to him so… so… casually? My grandson… successor to…_

But the strange thing, as he was gradually discovering, was how much his grandson was enjoying the banter.

"I'm discovering many things about you… Young Master Yue and so far I'm liking what I'm seeing, " Luo He's daughter replied followed by something what sounded suspiciously like a… _giggle_.

 _That girl, she's... she's no better than a… a… common courtesan from the local brothel… She's leading him astray that one._

"Good, I'm glad… because you're stuck with me for the rest of your life."

 _Is that… my Yue'er… flirting?_

Grandfather was aghast and wheeled himself away from the door. It was just as well that at that moment the elderly gentleman could not see what else had transpired on the other side it. If he had, he would have been truly scandalized.

* * *

Prince Xiang stared at Yuwen Yue's resignation letter with an exasperated expression. He'd lost track of time while debating with himself regarding the next course of action. A part of him was itching to tear it up and feed it to Yuwen Yue one piece at a time as punishment. The audacity of that man wanting to resign so that he could marry his ex-rebel slave. Heaven forbid that all men would take the same attitude because soon there would be no one left in government service. The prince sighed like a man who had given up and slapped his forehead annoyed that he was even in such a predicament.

While he was contemplating such weighty matters of inconsiderate subordinates, one of his men who had been keeping tabs on the weather situation burst into his study breathlessly.

"Your Highness, things are looking really bad!"

"Calm down and tell me slowly."

"It's the Wei River. The embankments have burst and many of the outlying districts are experiencing flash flooding. Thousands of commoners are evacuating and we don't how many have drowned. In some areas landslides have been reported."

Immediately the prince took a more business-like tone. "Deploy the second and third companies at once to assist with the relief effort. The rest must remain to protect the city. We don't know what Yan Xun and his army will get up to while we're gone."

"I don't think we need to worry about that, sir. There's flooding all around the Yellow River basin. He would be hard pressed making it to Meilin Pass."

"Still, one should take precautions. There may be spies in the city. Ensure that the guard at the eastern gate be doubled… no tripled… and all merchants coming and going carefully searched."

"I doubt anyone would be leaving the city tonight or for the next few days. In fact, we should expect a hoard of refugees to descend on the city in a matter of hours. None of us will be sleeping tonight."

With his brain going in all different directions, Prince Xiang's eyes eventually found its way to the resignation letter lying on his desk.

 _Damn that man… but I need him._

"Send someone to fetch Yuwen Yue from Qing Shan Yuan, I need to see him at once."

* * *

While he was unintentionally taking years away from the prince's life, Yuwen Yue was happily engaged with female company in his study. He was reading reports while his lady love was lying on his lap playing contentedly with the parrot.

It was at that moment that Yue Qi bounced into the young master's room excitedly. On realizing what he just walked into, he quickly averted his eyes when he saw that both lady and gentleman were enjoying a moment of intimacy by the burning brazier in the middle of the room.

"Er… Young Master… there's… er… a messenger outside with an urgent summon from His Highness Prince Xiang. It's an emergency and a matter of national security."

The lady sat up and saw the embarrassment on Yue Qi's face. She put her hand to her mouth trying very hard not to laugh.

The young master was displeased with the interruption but became attentive when he heard the words, "emergency" and "national security".

"Where's the messenger?" Master Yue snapped. Concerned though he was, he didn't appreciate the interruption.

"Young Master Yue, His Highness has summoned you to an emergency council to discuss matters regarding flood disaster mitigation."

"The Wei River? Is it bad?" The young master grimaced.

"Very bad, sir… troops have been sent to deal with the ruptured embankment, mass evacuations have begun and civilians are in a state of panic. At present the number of deaths are yet unknown."

"Baojin? Weinan? Xianyang?"

The messenger shook his head. "The reports trickling in aren't good."

"Tell His Highness I will be there soon with my people once I gear up."

"Yes, sir."

Yuwen Yue turned to his companion, "I'm sorry Xing'er but I need to leave soon. I was hoping things wouldn't come to this. I don't know when I'll be back."

"Let me come with you. I can help."

"You know I can't do that."

"Well, it's better than me staying here wondering if you're alright or what's happening out there especially when I can do something."

"But with things the way they are… you're not exactly His Highness' favourite person right now."

"It's okay, I'll explain things to His Highness."

"Explain? I can't even guarantee that you'll get past the front gate!"

Yuwen Yue was in a quandary that had to be handled carefully. He realised that it was no use talking Xing'er out of going. Or even to try and lock her up, tempting as though that was. Things were rather tenuous with the prince right now but he also knew that she was right. She could be a great help. Besides her coming with him would be better than her sneaking off on her own and getting into her unique brand of trouble. At least if she was where he could see her, it would lessen his unease.

After weighing up the advantages and disadvantages he relented. "Alright, just you though. We need to discuss this with His Highness before we can bring anyone else in."

"That's fine." She said eagerly.

"Don't get too excited. He's not going to be happy to see you."

* * *

 _Author's Notes: In the drama Chu Qiao was addressed by the Xiuli men as Chu_ da ren _(literally meaning: great person) which doesn't quite have an equivalent title in English although_ da ren _can be translated Your Excellency or Her Excellency. So I have made the unilateral decision to use "Lady" Chu here to denote a term of respect._

 _And I solemnly promise that Yuwen Zhuo will eventually be more than just comic relief._


	3. Evacuation

In-Laws and Outlaws: Evacuation

* * *

To say that Prince Xiang wasn't happy to see Chu Qiao was… to put it simply… a gross understatement. "Incensed" perhaps… or "infuriated" were other words that could, in polite company, adequately express the prince's disposition at that moment. Considering that he was ready to ride to Qing Shan Yuan and serve her execution orders personally, he took her sudden appearance in the throne room surprisingly well.

"Why did you bring her here?" He whispered harshly to his wayward subordinate as he whisked him aside.

"It was the lesser of two evils."

The prince raised his voice. "It was the lesser of… What's the matter with you, Yuwen Yue? Have you gone completely mad?"

Prince Xiang had the idea that between the young master and his woman, he was being driven insane.

"I couldn't leave her behind."

"She is a fugitive from justice for heaven's sake! A rebel! Have you forgotten what that means?"

"After some reflection I thought it be more prudent to bring her with me than to leave her behind. At least if she were to get involved in something foolhardy, I'd be there to pick up the pieces."

"Did you have to tell her?"

"Well, she was in the room at the time. It was unavoidable."

"You're doing this to me on purpose, aren't you? It's because I said those things about you and her that time."

"I don't hold grudges Your Highness. This was a pragmatic and strategic decision, there was nothing personal in it."

Prince Xiang glared at his erstwhile friend, irate at how serene the other man's entire demeanour seemed to be. Yuwen Yue did not apparently appreciate the gravity of the entire situation.

What's more the presence of the fugitive was making him increasingly uncomfortable even while she was masked under a veil. He had half a mind to clap her in chains and trot her off to the nearest dungeon but he surmised that the ensuing damage would not be worth the trouble.

 _Besides, she did risk everything to save his life._

He wondered why he needed to remember that. It only complicated matters for him.

 _Those two will take years off my life. It's bad enough to be conducting a romance across class differences but to drag entire states into it, is insufferable._

"Can you tell her to leave the room while we talk?"

Under the veil, the lady was smirking at the prince's discomfiture and for being so obviously ignored.

"Ahem… Your Highness, I'm standing right here listening to your conversation." She inconveniently reminded the prince. "Maybe you'd like to tell me yourself."

Prince Xiang realised the justice of that statement at once and took a deep breath before saying, "Miss Chu, would you mind waiting outside while Young Master Yue and I talk in private?"

He spoke as calmly as the occasion would allow.

"Of course, Your Highness." She replied affably.

"When Yuwen Yue and I are done talking, you and I need to have a few words."

"Of course, Your Highness." She was a picture of amiability.

"Please try not to kill anyone in the meantime."

"Of course not, Your Highness."

Miss Chu peered out of the veil to flash the young master a smile and disappeared into the outer reception area obediently.

* * *

As soon as the lady was out of sight, the first blast of words came fast and furious.

"Yuwen Yue! I expected better from you." The prince was pacing up and down the throne room mournfully. "First your resignation, now this?"

"I am sorry to be a grave disappointment to you, Your Highness. Perhaps it was a mistake my coming here."

"Let's not have any of your cheek, my man." His Highness wagged his finger with increasing exasperation.

If looks could kill, Yuwen Yue would have been dead a thousand times.

"Unfortunately I need your help. But why did you bring that woman here?"

"I've already told you, sir."

"You could have locked her up or something."

"I don't think there's any lock invented by man that can keep her imprisoned."

"You're probably right." The prince grudgingly assented. "But there's no reason for you to throw away your life for her."

"I don't see it that way, Your Highness. That statement of yours assumes that the things I've thrown away are of more value. I don't agree. I've had those things and all I kept thinking about the whole time was her."

"Then why did you come?"

"Because you asked me for help. Because the people of Wei need help. That's why she's here too because she genuinely wants to help."

"The two of you… will be the death of me." The prince sighed.

 _If I don't get hauled up on charges of treason first._

* * *

Chu Qiao was mentally prepared to bear the brunt of the prince's wrath. Already he was on the offensive. She knew that it was because of Yuwen Yue and his relationship with the prince that she and the Xiuli men were still walking around in relative freedom rather than residing as short-term guests at His Majesty's pleasure awaiting the executioner's sword.

"I know I will probably regret this but Miss Chu I am putting you and your men under Yuwen Yue's command."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"But if you or those men so much as do anything that crosses the line, I will have you up on charges and in stocks in no time."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Then in a milder, sober tone of voice, the 7th Prince said, "I hope you really appreciate that man you've got there and what he's given up for your sake. It will be a great loss when he leaves my service. I hate the idea of losing such a great talent. He is one in a hundred thousand."

"I do, Your Highness." _Leaving the prince's service, losing a great talent? What does he mean?_

"When you were here last under my command, the things he did for you to protect you… to defend you. I don't know any man of his stature who would have done the same for a runaway slave who didn't reciprocate. I really hope you are worthy of all of that. If you betray him, I will personally cut you up myself."

The lady nodded."If I were to betray him, I would personally hand myself to you to be cut up."

"Let's hope for all our sakes that it won't come to that."

Chu Qiao understood the concern at the heart of the prince's remarks and her respect for him increased. The prince was undoubtedly in a difficult position caught between loyalties and yet he valued his friendship with Yuwen Yue to the extent that he was willing to set aside all his profound misgivings about her. Ultimately it was all about Yuwen Yue's heart and she understood that despite the bluster that accompanied it.

"Your Highness, I know what you must think of me. Yuwen Yue and I… we… we've had a complicated journey. I haven't always understood my own heart well but I now know that he has always been very important to me. I have made many mistakes and under Wei law, I deserve death. But I assure you that my regard for him is genuine. I will do my best not to disappoint him… or you."

On hearing those comments, the prince softened considerably. "I'm glad we both understand each other."

"Thank you, Your Highness, for your graciousness."

* * *

Inwardly Yuwen Yue heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the prince and Xing'er walk out of the throne room unscathed. Scanning His Highness's countenance, he marvelled that they both emerged out of that conversation with palpable civility. It was too soon to declare lifelong friendship between the two but the prospects were heartening. Xing'er as she followed the prince out appeared unusually deferential… and meek almost.

"Yuwen Yue, I will see you in the staff meeting. Don't make us wait too long."

When the prince disappeared out of earshot, Yuwen Yue patted Xing'er's head and spoke first.

"Well, you were very well-behaved. I'm proud of you."

She clucked her tongue in annoyance, "What did you think I was going to do? Take him prisoner?"

Her belligerence was a quality he loved in her. He couldn't never resist the opportunity to provoke her.

"Well, it was one of many scenarios that I had imagined…"

She jabbed his ribs. "If you have such a low expectations of me, why did you bring me along?"

"To keep you out of mischief of course. Why else?"

She shot him a dour look and turned up her nose indignantly. "I don't know why I saved your life sometimes. You're so unappreciative."

"Because you can't live without me?"

"Idiot!" She retorted, making a playful show of slapping him in the ribs. "There are people watching." She lowered her voice.

Slipping back into his best stoic impersonation, he leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Whatever your excuse is, just remember, I can't live without you."

The attendants who had been stoically amused by the repartee between those two wondered later what it was that Young Master Yue had said that rendered his lady tongue-tied and submissive.

* * *

"So gentleman, what are your thoughts?"

Closeted in that emergency meeting were a handful of high-ranking ministers, a few generals, two army engineers, Prince Xiang and Yuwen Yue.

The Minister of Works, Lord Jing outlined his plan for the reinforcement of dikes, the clean up of raw sewage and infrastructure repairs. Lord Lin, the Minister of Finance, prattled off previous budget estimates for the relief effort and diversion of funds from various building projects for the rebuilding of infrastructure in the aftermath. Between the engineers, they came up with some suggestions regarding the transportation of people and supplies. All had their eyes fixed on a wall-sized map that hung in the conference room which gave special attention to the trouble spots along the Wei River including tributaries like the Luo, Jing and Chishui rivers. A second map was drawn up showing the districts and villages affected. The coloured dots represented areas that were particularly vulnerable or had been hit hard leaving potential risks involving water quality. Much time was spent discussing evacuation and possible evacuation routes that could be taken in the event that the predicted flood height would isolate property and leave no escape route.

"Roads in potential harzard areas exacerbate the risk because they are narrow," General Song piped up at one point. "Intersections could become choke points if all the residents head towards the same evacuation route so it's important to open alternative routes. For that reason, certain roads will have to be closed."

"Let's list the routes and villages most at risk, " The prince suggested, "and plot a course of action."

"We will need to involve the clans and village chiefs in this. They will be the ones best placed to identify residents from their local area, provide information on the location of temporary shelters, specific evacuation routes and identify… the dead." Yuwen Yue who had been listening attentively finally offered a comment.

"I'll leave that to you. Take a hundred men with you in this first phase. Send word if you need more later. You can go ahead, coordinate that side of things with your Eyes of God contacts and send regular updates to base camp. Keep the lines of communication open at all times."

"Yes, sir."

"Save as many lives as you can. Let's pray that this rain stops and the water recedes soon."

At this point one of the engineers interjected, "I'm not sure how much experience any of you have with this kind of situation. We haven't seen this kind of flooding in over twenty years. But moving water has incredible destructive power. It erodes and can drag dirt from under a building's foundation, causing it to crack and crumble. None of the domiciles standing in its path can withstand it. There will be debris everywhere."

Yuwen Yue nodded. "I understand. I've been reading detailed accounts that go back fifty to a hundred years. There have been many cases of entire villages going under."

"You were expecting the call?"

"One cannot be too complacent about such things."

When he saw that the conversation was over, His Highness continued giving out instructions.

"General Song, I want you both to take charge of the refugees that will be flocking into the city."

"Yes sir."

"While it's important to care for those who need a temporary abode we cannot neglect the safety of the residents of Chang'an."

"General Qin, you're responsible for overseeing the distribution of supplies."

"Yes, Your Highness."

* * *

When Yuwen Yue had quickly and efficiently dispatched his men to different locations to make contact with district and village heads, he promptly raced back to Qing Shan Yuan with Xing'er.

"So you want me to convince the Xiuli men to help?"

"Not necessarily. That's something I can do on my own."

"Then why did you bring me back with you? I could have gone with Yue Qi."

"I want you where I can see you."

"You don't trust me much do you?"

"I trust you… I just don't trust you to stay out of trouble."

"Yuwen Yue, you are such a bore."

Luckily the Xiuli men were eager to help and didn't require much persuasion. As soon as the request was made and explanations given, the men jumped at the chance of doing something productive. Two weeks of not doing much except the odd training exercise, was beginning to take a toll.

"There's nothing in it for you, no reward." The Young Master Yue reminded them. "You're wanted men from Yanbei… officially you've been labeled rebels… so you're wanted men. There's no guarantee that you'll get any kind of consideration for your efforts."

"Young Master, we're soldiers, this is what we do." He Xiao responded.

"I doubt you'll get much thanks from anyone."

"We're used to that," He Xiao said dryly. "But we genuinely want to help and do some good."

"Yes, it's better than sitting around waiting around to die." Came a shout from the back of the room followed by raucous laughter.

"For this job I request that you try and blend in, so put on these uniforms. No need to bring unnecessary attention to yourselves. It's just a temporary measure anyway."

"It's fine Young Master Yue, it's the least we can do for all your kindness to us."

"Don't thank me. It's going to be a long night. We have our work cut out for us."

"Understood."

"How soon can you get ready?"

"We can be ready in half an hour."

* * *

On horse back the journey to the worst hit area took almost an hour. Standing on higher ground with the sun slowly descending into the horizon, they surveyed the human calamity that was before them.

There was water… water… and more water… and it seemed to be everywhere. Where there once were huts, cottages, shops, markets, workshops and mansions, only water could be seen. The livelihoods of men, women… younger and older… all under water. Tiny traces of human activity could be seen peeping through the silt and cloudy water.

Even having read the older accounts and heard eye-witness reports, Yuwen Yue was dazed by the widespread devastation left behind by the deluge. The situation was far worse than he had imagined. Though he was mentally ready to deal with the logistical difficulties, it was overwhelming to see the human tragedy. The whole scenario had to be seen to be believed. As the reality hit home and sank in, the young master felt the weight of the world on his shoulders in a way he had not known before. All the resources that were at his finger-tips would be so inadequate to the mammoth task ahead and yet this was a burden that he could not shirk.

Hundreds… thousands perhaps… forced out their homes. Some fortunate enough to be rowing their own boats with what few material needs they could manage cram into their vessels. Others, less fortunate still, paddling makeshift rafts all around what had been farmland. Those who had found dry ground in time were cut off from their food supply and every meager possession that was theirs. The commoners, weary, disheveled and in desperate need of food were barely surviving with the rags on their back.

Uprooted trees, dead livestock, building materials, and raw sewage were all floating in and amongst the debris. There was little doubt concerning the potential safety and health risks to the surviving population.

Nature, the great equalizer, had unleashed her power and no one high born or low… was untouched.

Chu Qiao clutched onto his arm overwhelmed by the spectacle and in grief, "Yuwen Yue, how can we help these people?"

"We will do what we can," was the grim response.

In the distance a cry could be heard, "Help! My child has fallen into the water, I can't swim! I've got two other children."

Chu Qiao reacted instantly, dropped her sword and flew to where the call came from. All that could be seen of the child was an arm frantically waving in the distance. She fished the toddler out and handed the girl back to her panic-stricken mother who was balancing precariously on a raft. Clutching on to her little girl with relief, she shouted out her profuse thanks to their benefactor.

Realising that help had come, distressed folk raised their voices in unison hollering, shouting or signal for aid.

"We need to act quickly, get this people onto dry ground as soon as possible because this will get much harder once night falls."

Chu Qiao spoke up, "Yuwen Yue, leave this to me. I have an idea that I think could work."

* * *

The young master divided the Xiuli men, now dressed as Yue guards into units of 4-6 and sent them into other neighbouring areas to evacuate villagers and be on the look out for dangerous debris. He gave them strict instructions to keep their gloves on. He Xiao, he kept around to assist Xing'er in her efforts. As they went out, Yue Qi returned from doing his reconnaissance of the nearby village. He'd left his team to continue with the evacuation.

"Young Master, there are a group of people in the Yang village who are refusing to evacuate. It's the grandfather really that's the cause of the problem. The old miser has got treasure (or say he says) buried on the grounds and insists on staying behind to guard it. The rest of the family won't leave without him."

"I suppose it's been explained to him that once the water spreads to the area he will be in no position to guard anything."

"There's no reasoning with that man."

"Anyone thought about dragging him out of the house?"

"The old fellow has chained himself to the bed and is threatening to slit his own throat."

"Maybe we should let him." The young master frowned. "What else do you know?"

"There is no doubt that he is wealthy and has friends in high places. He's a retired silk merchant and used to reside in Chang'an. He had a lot of business dealings with foreigners… Persians, Arabians, Indians so his family thinks that he probably has got a nice hoard in his cellar which he had built when he retired there. He's a very religious man. It's one of the reasons why he left Chang'an because he thought the evil spirits had taken over the entire city. He also had a cleansing ritual done before he moved into the house that they are currently occupying. Moreover he believes that the spirits are responsible for the flood because the land is in need of cleansing due to corruption in the court."

 _Well, he's not wrong about the corruption._

"Alright, maybe we can use that to our advantage. Get a few men together, however many we can spare and let's converge on Yang village. It's a pity we have to waste time on this. If it weren't for the rest of his household, I have a good mind to… Never mind, just get cracking."

"Yes, sir!"

"It looks like Xing'er is almost done with guiding the vessels to safety."

"The Feng Yun Ling is truly a remarkable ability, sir."

"It was a good idea to change the direction of the currents. It's saved us a lot of time… and probably a lot of lives."

"I'm glad that she's on our side now."

The young master acknowledged the truth of that statement with one of his rare smiles.

* * *

"Yuwen Yue. When I called you a prankster last, it wasn't an invitation to run amok and start looking for a new occupation."

"If you have a better idea, then let's hear it."

"We might end up killing him."

"If we do, we might do us and his family a favour." Yuwen Yue replied peevishly.

"You are incorrigible. We are here to save lives, remember?"

"We are saving lives…"

* * *

The elderly patriarch of the Hui household was adamant on playing the role of the last man standing. Despite all the coaxing from his family and retainer, he was obstinately refusing to budge.

"I will be fine, the spirits of our ancestors will protect me. Go if you have to."

His eldest son and primary heir shook his head dubiously. He was certain that their ancestors would prefer that they take the necessary practical, earthly precautions to ensure the continuation of their family's bloodline. Apart from that, the young general coordinating the evacuation had personally come to get them out which showed the measure of respect the father was being accorded. Refusing aid from such an exalted personage was to the young master's mind very bad manners and bad luck. Besides the water showed no signs of receding. But his father dug his heels in.

Young Master Hui had quietly arranged for his wife and two small children to be taken to Chang'an earlier but stayed behind to persuade the older man to leave their family abode temporarily as well as the "treasure" that he insisted was worth throwing his life away for.

The young general advised Young Master Hui to leave and assured him that he would get his father out by hook or by crook. It wasn't hard to convince the young master to leave who was already in fear for his life and anxious to be reunited with his family.

Left with only his retainer to attend to his personal needs, the Elder Master Hui soon retired to his bedchamber. That evening he was surprised at how unusually drowsy he felt and took to his bed earlier than was his custom. Once he finished his nightly drink of tea, he dismissed the faithful family retainer, who promptly blew out the candle sitting on the table before leaving the room.

Enveloped in darkness, the elderly master stretched himself and rested his head on his lacquered pillow. A gust of strong wind blew in through his window. As he got up to close it, he felt groggy and the entire room seemed to be moving. His head ached so much that he thought that it would split in two. In that state, Master Hui fell back onto his daybed reluctantly.

Before Master Hui was able to get up again, he was knocked flat onto his back by a fresh gust of uncommonly powerful wind that came through the window. Hampered by the darkness and a terrible headache, he could barely make out the shadowy figure that emerged from nowhere accompanied by a set of glowing lights. The figure pranced around him compounding the dizziness that had already overtaken him.

"Hui Xianshi… Hui Xianshi… Hui Xianshi…"

The atmosphere turned eerie as he heard a voice calling his name. One voice turned into another and then another. Soon there were a chorus of voices speaking his name in threatening fashion.

A chill went up his spine. The Elder Master Hui was convinced at once that he was under a spiritual attack. His headache was getting worse by the minute.

"Hui Xianshi… this is the spirit of your ancestor speaking." Another voice emerged, more commanding than the others.

"This… this… is Hui Xianshi… " He trembled. "Why have you come, O Great Ancestor?"

"I have come to warn you. Do you not care for your own safety? Why have you remained in this place?"

"My treasure… our family treasure… it's all in the secret cellar… I cannot leave."

"Fear not… Offspring of the Hui family… Your Ancestors are present and will keep watch."

"If you're here to protect me, I will have no fear."

"If you do not leave, you will be the last of the Hui family. Your son and his children will die horrible deaths. And the treasure you value so much will be taken away from you and your family forever, ending up in the hands of strangers."

The wind grew stronger and soon the room started to shake and furniture moved round the room.

"No… please protect me… and my treasure…"

The wind swirled round the room; soon the Hui patriarch found himself levitating off the ground and he screamed with terror as he clung on to his daybed as it rattled and shook violently.

"The evil spirits are coming for you now. Leave, Offspring of the Hui family, leave…"

The old man needed no other admonition. He scrambled around his sleeves for the key to unlock his chains. Shrieking for the evil spirits to spare his life, he tumbled out of the room as fast as legs could carry him. Before he could go any further, he tripped over something long and thin. Then he felt a blow to his head and blacked out.

* * *

"That took longer that I had expected. The old man was made of sterner stuff than he looked."

"Is Master Hui still alive? You didn't hit his head too hard, did you?"

"Of course not. No fear, he's still among the living." Yuwen Yue had bent over to check his breathing. "No. 8 and No. 9, take him out of here. Dump him into one of the spare boats and ferry him out of here before he wakes up and changes his mind. We've certainly wasted enough time here."

"Young Master Yue, that was the most fun I've had in years." He Xiao was grinning from ear to ear as he removed the black hooded cloak that was his disguise. A few remaining fireflies were still buzzing around it.

"Yuwen Yue, you're the worst," Chu Qiao clucked disapprovingly. "Don't encourage him, He Xiao."

"You helped, didn't you? And it worked."

"What did you put in his tea?"

" _Da ma_. Cannabis. It's a psychotropic herb found around the country since time in memorial. Most people think it's a weed. Very effective for helping people see spirits especially when given a strong dosage."

He Xiao chuckled, "Young Master… I have a feeling that I'm really going to enjoy working with you."

* * *

"Commander, Lady Chu, Young Master Yue," One of the Xiuli men, Luo Su, had just arrived at the rendezvous point for the entire evacuation crew.

"What is it?" The commander demanded.

"We found some bodies." He blurted.

"It would be more surprising if you didn't," Yuwen Yue remarked sardonically.

The young soldier was huffing and puffing from his exertions. "No, no I mean… This isn't coming out right. Bodies of women… young women… About half a dozen of them. From the Lei village. All found within a half mile radius."

"Where are they?" Lady Chu asked.

"We piled them into one of the boats we borrowed and brought them here. So many women dead in one area. It seemed odd."

Young Master Yue's curiosity was now aroused. "Let's take a look, shall we?"

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

 _I can never pass up a bit of gallows humour and since the opportunity arose I took it. While I don't doubt that Yuwen Yue's scheme to drive the old codger out of his house was probably unnecessarily elaborate, I enjoyed writing it. And I imagine the disgruntled young master took some perverse pleasure in scaring the old fellow out of his wits._

 _This is a public announcement to let everyone know that I do intend to update this story regularly until I run out of ideas, which at the moment isn't in short supply. However, as I'm a busy parent, trying to clean out the clutter in my house, while juggling everything else life throws in my direction, the updates won't come quickly._

 _I am very grateful for all the many who are reading and for those who have personally sent messages of support. Just in case you're not aware, it is possible to post reviews on the site even if you don't log in._


	4. Servile Bodies Part 1

In-Laws and Outlaws: Servile Bodies 1

 _Warning: This chapter contains references to murder and sexual exploitation. I have provided some clinical autopsy descriptions as you'd find in a crime show but have refrained from adding too many grizzly details._

* * *

Chu Qiao woke up with a start. Tears trickled down her cheeks glistened by the light of the fire at the centre of the encampment.

She couldn't remember the last time she had that dream. Those dreams… had haunted her and were still haunting her… vivid images of those terrified young women, some barely out of childhood… running, scampering for their lives from hungry wolves in vicious pursuit. She had been there to witness the horror of watching them pinned down by well-aimed arrows flying from the bow of that scoundrel Yuwen Huai and his merry band of sportsman.

Those girls had been running out of sheer terror rather than any hope of being rescued from such a chilling scheme. There had been no light at the end of the tunnel. No chance of outrunning the wolves or dodging the onslaught of arrows. No one had survived… except her.

There were the other images also of the women from Ji Le Pavilion. Their bodies carelessly tossed into the cart. Her own sister sacrificed herself to protect her and fell victim to the horrors of that household's depraved patriarch. No one had cared about these nameless women. Everyone knew what went on in that place but nobody did anything about it. Until she finally struck back.

The warmth of the campfire and the shelter provided by the cypress tree had lulled her into feeling a small measure of comfort. She too had been weary from her labours. which helped her succumb to sleep despite witnessing such a travesty. But it had not been a restful sleep at all.

"You're awake."

Yuwen Yue was sitting beside her. He was drying her cheeks with her handkerchief that he treasured.

"Have I been asleep long?" She asked awkwardly.

"A couple of hours. You needed it. It has been a long night."

"We all needed it. What about you? Did you get some shuteye?"

"I dozed off for an hour," was the casual response. "Are you hungry? There's some of that roasted pancake that you like."

"A little."

He handed her a piece of the roasted pancake and their eyes met. Both held their gaze wondering what the other was thinking. The young master sat and watched Chu Qiao put the bread to her lips nibbling at the edges absent-mindedly. After a while she broke the silence between them.

"Yuwen Yue. Those women… were they… were they… really violated?"

"Yes… it seems to be the case… " He responded dispassionately, not once taking his eyes off her. He paused briefly before adding, "None of us are qualified physicians here but there was extensive bruising in their lower torso and defensive wounds all over their bodies. I saw something similar when I was posted at the border. Lacerations all around…"

His voice broke off and stopped talking when he saw her shaking.

"All of them?"

"Yes."

A fresh set of tears welled up in her eyes.

"They looked so young."

"Between the ages of 14-18 would be my guess."

"How did they die?"

"Bruising around the neck suggests that they were probably strangled. Whoever did this was probably in a hurry. I don't think they expected the flood to uncover everything."

By this time, tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"I want to kill the person who did this." She said furiously.

"I'm sure."

"I want to gouge his eyes, flay him and string him up to be eaten by vultures. Alive." She added viciously.

"I know." The young master continued to dutifully wipe her tears unperturbed by the string of threats to inflict violence.

"Is the perpetrator from the Lei village?"

"Most probably. I've sent Yue Qi and a few others to make discreet inquiries and liaise with our contacts. But I don't know if the girls are from the village. Some of them don't look like locals from their physique and features. A few of the girls look like peasants probably from neighbouring villages. I doubt he would have been so careless as to source them so close to home. Since there are quite a few girls, I'd speculate that there would have to be more than one culprit. At least two, maybe more."

"Are you talking about… a ring?"

Yuwen Yue nodded, "It's quite likely the case."

"Sex slaves…" Chu Qiao's voice lowered to barely a whisper.

Yuwen Yue had no response. None was needed. It seemed to be the obvious conclusion. So many young women in the flower of their youth sexually exploited and murdered so callously then thrown away where no one could find them.

She was in a trance, transported somewhere but nowhere in particular. She was lost in her thoughts… so many strands battling to find coherence and expression in speech. Her eyes were filled with sorrow and something like regret.

"When I killed Yuwen Xi, I... told myself that the world would be a better place without this man. While that was true, what I really wanted was vengeance on the whole Yuwen clan for what they did to mine. My sister, my brother... as well as all the slaves that died during the wolf hunt. Then when I tasted that bit of victory, I was arrogant enough to believe that with my blade I could take on the evildoers, cleanse this world of corruption and fight for the downtrodden. I was going to make the world a better place starting with our escape from Chang'an.

"But when I walked down the streets of Chang'an during the coup. I saw evil all around. Looting, rape… it was chaos. Evil that we… I… allowed to happen. An unintended consequence of what we did. Again I used my sword and dealt with the evildoers. When Yan Xun abandoned the Xiuli battalion, I couldn't just leave them behind because I had promised. We were supposed to be different from the people we were fighting. Then when I saw Princess Yuan Chun and Yuan Song… bloody… lying on the hay in so much pain and then I… "

"What happened to them wasn't your fault," The young master reminded her.

"I know and yet… All I wanted was to live… to be free… But it seemed my need to live and to be free had all these unintended evil consequences. I wanted to help Yan Xun go home, regain what was his but all I seemed to do is hurt more people. Innocent people."

She turned her attention back to Yuwen Yue and fixed her gaze on him.

"I made many mistakes because I didn't understand who I was… what I really wanted. I know now I can't change the world but I can change how I see it and do what I can to make it just that little bit better."

There was a ghost of a smile on the young master's face and he patted her gently on the head.

"Ah… my Xing'er has taken another stop towards maturity. It seems I didn't almost die for no good purpose. Thank Heavens! Hopefully that means she won't run away and get into trouble without me ever again."

"Yuwen Yue… I'm trying to be serious here. Trust you to ruin the moment," grumbled the lady.

"I know you are. So am I." He slipped his arm over her shoulders and drew her into his embrace. She let her head drop and rest on his shoulder.

"I want justice for those girls. I want those people caught so that no other girl will have to go through what they did. I want them punished so that others will think twice about doing the same thing again."

"But you still want to gouge out their eyes, flay them and string them up to be devoured by birds."

"Yuwen Yue… you know me so well."

* * *

 _No one will ever guess that I was the one who buried them. No one. Not in a thousand years._

He heard that the girls had been found. The news had spread through three villages like wildfire. But no matter… no one would ever suspect him. After all most people in the village did not even give him the time of day. Even his own family ignored him and left him to his own devices.

In a way that was good… he had the freedom to roam around. Every village had one… the village idiot.

But Master… saw the potential in him. Knew that he was smarter than he looked. Protected him from the bullies. Gave him money every time he did a job. If anything happened he was sure that Master would come to his aid or one of his wealthy friends that regularly went to That Place.

No fear. He would lay low for a while just like he was instructed to do so.

* * *

For the evacuation crew the murders were certainly a complication they didn't need. It wasn't what they had come to do but faced with it, they couldn't look the other way, particularly because something of this nature would quite easily be swept under the rug. Technically investigative powers came under the jurisdiction of the county magistrate who in all likelihood would not take too kindly to strangers from the capital interfering. The disposition of the magistrate was the key and they would need the explicit permission of Prince Xiang to act… incognito preferably.

The physician they brought in from the city confirmed Yuwen Yue's early deductions. The girls were violated over time and were only recently killed. It was quite likely they were buried in farmland judging from the traces of soil found on the corpses. He also noted a branding on the left shoulders… the character "bao" in seal script.

Yuwen Yue was well aware that potentially they were uncovering a hornet's nest that had far reaching ramifications among Chang'an's wealthy elite. They had to act discreetly and go cautiously otherwise as the expression went, "the snake will be alerted prematurely if the grass is struck".

"So you're our local contact," asked the young master.

"Yes, Young Master," The local Eyes of God contact had only known the young master by reputation previously.

"That matter that we asked you to look into, what did you find out?"

"I've lived in this area my entire life and I've never heard about anything like this. No one seems to know anything about any girls or young women going missing or any kind of underground sex slave trade," insisted the agent.

"I don't imagine they would be announcing it," The young master said with more than a touch of irony, "But someone from this area knows something. There has to be someone."

"If they do, they're not talking," Chu Qiao chimed in.

"I don't expect them to but people talk in different ways."

"What do you mean, Young Master?" asked the agent.

"Someone will start acting out of character, do things they don't usually do. Especially if they start to get nervous or if there's money involved."

"I see."

"The rain isn't going to make finding the culprit easy. All clues and traces will be gone," Yuwen Yue mused, "We may have to flush him out."

"Flush him out? How?" Chu Qiao demanded.

Yuwen Yue explained, "We'll have to work at this from two angles: Openly and undercover. On the surface, we'll make a lot of noise and the real investigation will be done undercover."

"I'm game." The lady was raring to go. "Whatever it takes to get bring down these lecherous scoundrels and put them out of business. Permanently."

* * *

The next morning after the big deluge, the downpour was reduced to barely a drizzle. Everyone breathed a huge sigh of relief and felt certain that they would be able to return home sooner rather than later. While the vast majority of survivors were grateful to be alive, they were eager to get back to some semblance of normality. The cleanup would undoubtedly be a large undertaking lasting days, weeks or months even but no one could permanently live on boiled water and roasted pancakes alone.

The announcement that another female body had been found struck a chill throughout the local community and this time the corpse was placed in a prominent position for public display. Gradually there was a build-up of spectators. Very quickly a large crowd of curious evacuees gathered around and hushed voices could be heard all around the encampment. The place was soon rife with speculations about how the girl met her end.

Yuwen Yue had placed men, a combination of his Yue guards and Xiuli men, strategically in a line to prevent anyone from getting too close. Others were positioned to get a view of the onlookers from various angles. He gave them all strict instructions to study the crowd carefully for any unusual reactions among the spectators.

A nondescript young man in his early twenties gradually pushed his way to the front of the crowd taking only a cursory look and promptly left the scene. He returned to the back of the crowd and sat down looking bored and indifferent. Feeling hungry he reached into the pouch that he was carrying and pulled out a piece of bread and started chewing on it.

Moments later a young woman not much younger, looking bedraggled, fell beside the young man, weeping and wailing. At first he seemed oblivious to her presence. But as her cries got louder, he had no choice but to pay heed. At first glance he was tempted to go elsewhere but when he looked more closely he noticed that she was quite pretty despite the streaks of tears on her face.

"What's the matter, Miss?" He put on his most sympathetic expression.

"I've… I've lost… everyone…" She sobbed into a white handkerchief. "My uncles and aunts from the Yang village. They couldn't get out in time."

He muttered some obligatory words of sympathy and dug into the slits of his outer robe to pull out some colourful round objects.

"Your accent… you don't sound like you're from around here." He commented.

"I… I… I'm from Yanbei originally." She sniffed, seemingly glad to have an audience. "My parents died in the battle at Hong Chuan so I came to live with my relatives here.

The young fellow nodded. "You've had a very hard time, Miss."

As if on cue, the young lady produced a heart-rending sob. "Yes, I'm really all alone now."

The young man rarely had an opportunity impress a woman before so he warmed up to this exchange. "My name is Xiao Chou… at least the people in the Lei village call me that… because to them I'm just an idiot. But little do they know…" He started to say conspiratorially and then checked himself. "Anyway, you can call me Xiao Chou."

"I'm Xing Xing." She muttered.

"Xing Xing? That's a pretty name." He flashed her a wide grin, which revealed a set of uneven, rotting teeth.

Then he stretched out his hand and offered the young woman the contents in it.

"Have some sweets. They'll cheer you up. These are special ones… you can't get them around these parts. A friend who lives in Chang'an gave them to me," He said generously.

The young lady hesitated but the young fellow waved them under her nose and nodded. She stared at them for a while before taking them eagerly.

"You're very kind," She whimpered before putting one in her mouth. They were very good and Xing Xing had never eaten anything like it.

Flattered by all the attention he was getting from a pretty girl, Xiao Chou became more talkative and regaled her with stories of pranks he had committed in his village. She giggled as he talked about his exploits stealing food and drink from the kitchens of the local inns. Or when he gave his stuffy family grief the time he stole the magistrate's seal and hid it in the henhouse. Then he boasted about a wealthy friend from the city that he did odd jobs for who also supplied him with plenty of money. He loved embellishing anecdotes and Xing Xing was not like any other girl he had ever met before. Usually they seem repulsed by him but she seemed genuinely fascinated by his stories.

By the time Xiao Chou had done spinning his tales, the rain had stopped and the sun was peeping through the clouds. It seemed like Heaven was merciful to the Lei village, which sustained relatively little damage in the flooding compared to other neighbouring villages. By mid-afternoon some families began to make their way back on foot to their homes.

Xiao Chou was keen to get better acquainted with Xing Xing. She was the type of girl that his friend liked: Simple and sweet. Better still she had no family. But most importantly, Xiao Chou liked her, at least enough to want to keep her for himself. He was wondering what he should do with her when he heard her sigh and lament.

"I don't know what I'm going to do now, where I'm going to go," She bemoaned, tearing up.

This gave Xiao Chou his opportunity to make his move. "Why don't you come with me? My family would welcome you."

"I don't know," she said warily, "I don't you that well. And I… don't want to be an imposition."

"It's fine, it's fine. My father's the county magistrate."

"Really?" Xing'er brightened, "Oh… that's why…"

"Yeah, my family hates me but I don't really care. Anyway, you should come with me."

"Well, if you don't think it's too much trouble…"

"Of course not. Anyway, a young woman like yourself shouldn't be on your own. Someone should accompany you to the courthouse anyway."

"Yes, that's true." She acknowledged readily and smiled sweetly at him. "Thank you so much Xiao Chou. You're such a good person."

Xiao Chou scratched his head shyly and grinned. He really liked this girl.

"But first I want to show you my special place. It's on the way."

* * *

Xiao Chou didn't know what had hit him. He remembered taking Xing'er to his special spot, the place where he usually met Master and did his pickups.

But something came crashing down on him and before he could react, he was down on the ground flat on his face.

When he opened his eyes he found himself dangling upside down by the legs suspended in mid air. Someone had gagged, bound and strung him up by a tree in a heavily wooded area.

He heard some chatter. As he became more lucid he could make out a man's voice behind him but the man wasn't talking to him.

"Did you really have to string him up like this?" The man was saying impatiently.

"Of course. While he may not have killed the girls himself, he buried them."

The voice of the woman sounded familiar. Familiar but more strident. And undoubtedly angry.

"Well, that's still to be determined."

"I'm sure he's the one."

"Well, don't kill him, alright? At least not until we've heard what he has to say for himself."

"Kill him? That would be too easy. He's lucky I haven't castrated him." The woman exclaimed vengefully.

 _Kill me? Castrate me? Who are these people? What do they want from me?_

With the knowledge that his life and masculinity was on the line, Xiao Chou gave a muffled, terrified yell and tried to wriggle himself free.

"Looks like your sweet-loving friend has regained consciousness." The man observed.

A man about his age in full military armour approached him and stripped the gag off his face.

"Help! Help!" Xiao Chou's survival instincts kicked in.

"If you continue shouting, we will simply kill you." The man in the armour said coolly. "I don't think anyone will miss you."

"Who are you? What do you want from me?"

"A simple, straightforward conversation. My colleague here is itching to tear you apart limb by limb and I'm dong my best to hold her off. So answer truthfully and we will consider sparing you."

Another figure, also dressed in armour, strode across to face Xiao Chou. To his great surprise, it was Xing Xing… carrying a red sword. Well, it was a woman that looked like Xing Xing at least because in that apparel and with the weapon, she had a different aura.

"Xing Xing! What are you doing?"

Xing Xing did not answer. Instead she pulled her sword out of its scabbard. Next, she used the tip of the sword to trace the character "death" on his chest. Then she

used the sword to prod his cheeks and lips. Following that she moved her sword all around his upper torso, and finally landing the pointed edge on his groin.

"No, Xing Xing, don't!" He yelped. "I'll tell you everything."

The man in armour spoke again, in a calm clear voice. "Are you the one who buried the dead girls?"

"No…" He shouted at once and then changed his tune when he felt the pressure of the blade tip pressing on his groin. "Yes, yes, it was me. But I didn't kill them."

"I see… " The man nodded. "Then who did?"

"I… I… can't tell you." Xiao Chou gulped. "He's my friend."

Then Xing Xing spoke up menacingly and applied even greater pressure. "Well, you need to make a choice. Your friend… or your manhood. Make it quick… or I will make it quick."

"I… I… don't know his name. I just call him Master because he gives me these jobs and pays me very well for them. But he lives in Chang'an. He's very wealthy and has a lot of connections there."

"How does he make his money?" The man in armour continued passively with the interrogation.

"Clothes, I think. Women's clothes, and he trades with foreigners."

"How did you meet him?"

"When I went to Chang'an two years ago. Outside a brothel, on Fu You Street, on the eastern side of Chang'an. It's called Huan Yu Pavilion. He used to be a patron there. They will know who he is."

"Aside from burying bodies for him, what else do you do?"

"I… I… carry messages for him. To other wealthy men."

The man in the armour drew his sword and swung it, slashing the rope that was holding him to the tree. Xiao Chou fell unceremoniously to ground head first. He groaned feebly in response to the treatment he was receiving.

"You're not going to let him off so easily, are you?" The woman demanded.

"We got what we wanted out of him. We should hand him to the proper authorities."

"I'm not satisfied." Xing Xing declared.

"Of course, not. You wouldn't be satisfied even if he were dead."

Xing Xing kicked Xiao Chou once in the groin, which elicited the reaction she was hoping for. The young offender screamed out in pain.

"Xing Xing… spare my life, I beg you. I didn't kill those girls." Xiao Chou pleaded hoarsely, writhing around the ground in agony.

She kicked him another two times in his groin and used the hilt of her sword to deal a knockout blow to his head.

"Where you're going, you'll never see another woman for as long as you live." She declared malevolently to the unconscious man.

"Satisfied now?" Her male companion looked faintly amused.

"A little. At least it wasn't a waste of my time, flirting with him."

"Such a waste… you would have made a great spy."

"What? So you could send me on suicide missions?"

"It would have been a waste to send you on suicide missions."

"Yuwen Yue, is this how you talk to your future wife?"

"Speaking of which, why did you have to use the name I gave you with this fellow? It's _my_ name for you."

* * *

 _Glossary:_

 _Xiao Chou = These days it would more commonly be translated as "Little Clown" but chou can mean buffoon. Xiao Chou can also be a homonymous pun meaning "Little Smelly One" depending on the tone applied._

 _Bao = Treasure_

 _Huan Yu Ge or Huan Yu Pavilion = Comfort and Pleasure Pavilion_

 _Author's Notes:_

 _It's been a fantasy of mine to have Yuwen Yue and Xing'er play detectives. This was never meant to be some convoluted whodunit but a way of teaming those two up in a fun but relevant way. The good cop-bad cop thing just seemed to lend itself to the situation and the sexual exploitation angle felt like a natural fit considering Chu Qiao's history with slavery and Ji Le Ge._

 _Someone asked me the other day where I get my ideas from. Well, from a wide range of sources really. In the last arc I was loosely inspired by a far more elaborate scare tactic from the C-drama Vigilantes in Masks. The idea for this particular arc came from hearing and reading about the Rotheram and Oxfordshire (UK) child sex abuse cases in recent times. In Oxford over 370 girls were the victims of sexual abuse for over 8 years and in Rotheram over 1400 girls fell victim to a paedophile ring between 1997 to 2013. The biggest scandal was that nobody took the girls seriously when they tried to report it to the respective authorities because of the political ramifications._

 _Thank you all for reading and for leaving behind comments._

 _I beg indulgence for any and all meteorological inaccuracies._


	5. Servile Bodies Part 2

In-Laws and Outlaws: Servile Bodies 2

* * *

The facial contortions that marked Yuwen Zhuo's mien took on different forms as he witnessed his grandson and his future bride dragging in a badly beaten up young man into the secret chamber at Qing Shan Yuan. His initial impressions led him first to glare disdainfully at the future bride while stroking his scraggly beard.

"Don't look at me," She shrugged her shoulders, "This wasn't my idea."

"It was mine," the grandson insisted.

"Had it been left to me," His grandson's future bride was giving the bedraggled creature the evil eye, "He would've been castrated, disemboweled and fed to wolves already."

"Who is this?" The grandfather barked, trying to make sense of the back and forth between the two. "And why is he in my secret chamber?"

"He's a witness to a crime." His grandson explained. "I need him for further questioning."

"He's an accessory to a crime," The future bride corrected scornfully, "who should be tortured, clapped in chains and imprisoned. At the very least. I thought you said you were going to hand him over to the proper authorities."

"I changed my mind, " Yuwen Yue said calmly, "He still has his uses."

"Didn't you say that he had given us everything we needed?" The woman argued.

"He told us everything he knew but we still need him."

"But you haven't answered my other question, Yue'er," Grandfather had a bee in his bonnet about this, "Why is he in my secret chamber?"

"Because I need you and Zhan Mo to keep an eye on him while Xing'er and I investigate this case."

"This is becoming a habit, isn't it?" Grandfather gave his grandson a sour look. "You collecting undesirables and bringing them home."

Xing'er knew that remark was meant to include her as well and averted her eyes uncomfortably.

Yuwen Yue ignored the jibe and got to the point, "Grandfather, this is the safest place I could think of. I need him alive in an accessible location with people I can trust."

"Trust, bah…" Yuwen Zhuo was growing agitated. "You only talk about trust when you need something from me."

"I haven't got time to argue with you, Grandfather. It's important that we carry on with this investigation quickly before anyone knows that we have him. By now the leader of this ring would have got wind of the news that we found the dead girls. However, we cannot let him know that his running dog has already fallen into our hands. We need him to think that we're not on to him yet. Nevertheless he will come looking for this person soon."

"Since when did the Eyes of God get involved in murder investigations?" The grandfather snapped. "Does this have political ramifications?"

"It could." The grandson answered immediately. "It's hard to say."

"He's an unsightly looking character," Grandfather poked the witness with his cane. "Looks like you gave him a good going over."

"Oh that," The grandson said, looking pointedly at the future bride. "That wasn't me. All I did was question him."

"He's a rapist!" The future bride protested. "The worst kind of scum there is. I let him off very lightly considering what happened to the girls."

"Technically, he's a lackey to a rapist."

"This person raped women?" quizzed the grandfather prodding the hapless criminal again.

"Probably not."

"We don't know that for sure!"

"I very much doubt it," the grandson said dryly. "But, yes, we're investigating a series of rape-murders and he's just the tip of the pagoda."

"So it was Xing'er who beat him up?" Yuwen Zhuo alternated glances between his grandson and the fiancée he disapproved of.

"Yes… She lured him into a trap and strung him up for interrogation."

For the first time it dawned on the Elder Yuwen that his grandson might perhaps not be so reckless after all… that perhaps Yue'er did know what he was doing… and that… there might be some kind of hidden method to all the recent madness.

* * *

"Yue Qi, take 8 and 9 back with you to the Yang village. Talk to the old Master Hui who was probably in the Merchant's Guild. Since he was involved in the silk trade and had dealing with foreigners, he will probably know who it is we're looking for. Be discreet. I will personally look into this from the Huan Yu Pavilion angle and have a word with the owner there. A wealthy degenerate like this will have a history of this kind of behaviour. He didn't get involved in something like this overnight."

"Yes, Young Master."

The idea that the man who had pledged to marry her was planning to enter an establishment swamped with beautiful women whose entire profession was dedicated to servicing men, did not sit well with Chu Qiao at all. She maintained strenuously that men in general couldn't be relied upon to remain objective in such a heady, incensed-filled environment. She also insisted that he could potentially compromise the investigation and allow the allure of the pleasure house to affect his normally commendable ability to conduct a proper inquiry in a logical fashion. Young Master Yue wasn't convinced by her arguments at all and sceptically insisted that she direct her energies elsewhere as she was more likely to be a hindrance than a help in this line of inquiry.

The lady protested energetically and they argued for some time before finally settling on a compromise. She would tag along dressed as his manservant and keep an eye out for clues while he spoke to the owner of the establishment.

As they entered Huan Yu Pavilion, her worst fears were realised. A hoard of heavily made-up women dressed in colourful robes, descended upon her future husband with (in her eyes) gratuitous ardour. Compared to them, particularly in her disguise, she seemed like a beggar in rags. She glanced at him regularly to catch his reactions and felt palpable relief when he seemed completely unaffected by all the boisterous admiration. He was his usual unflappable self and it was business as usual for him.

Yuwen Yue introduced himself and respectfully asked to see the owner, much to the disappointment of all the courtesans who were definitely all vying to be chosen as the young master's evening entertainment. Again the young master seemed aloof to all the attention.

The owner of the establishment was already standing at the top end of the palatial stairway, surveying the clamour around the young man who had come to pay them a visit. She was an enigmatic figure by all accounts, a woman whose origins were something of a mystery. She spoke Chinese like a native and was rumoured to have secret business relationships with the Persians and Arabians. Indeed a sizeable proportion of her clientele came regularly from those lands. Some said she was part Persian herself… on her father's side but nobody knew for certain. No one knew how old she was either but speculated that she would have to be in her mid-thirties at least.

What wasn't in doubt was her beauty. Mei Fang (if indeed that was her real name) was a woman who commanded the attention of every single person when she entered a room but then she wasn't someone who merely entered a room either. It was said that when she strode into any place her long, flowing queenly robes gave the impression that she had descended from heaven on clouds.

She had certainly heard of the young master from Qing Shan Yuan whose intelligence and pugilistic abilities were renowned in all the nation states of the Central Plains. While she seldom gave much thought to pugilistic and military types, she was curious about the young master of Qing Shan Yuan who was also a reputedly skilled _wei qi_ player. She was curious enough, at least, to invite him to drink tea with her.

Even Chu Qiao was impressed. She had seen pretty girls in her time and even beautiful ones but in the beauty stakes, Mei Fang was in a league all on her own. Only the young master of Qing Shan Yuan seemed impervious to her charismatic beauty. He was polite, and respectful when they exchanged greetings but he was apparently indifferent to her natural allure.

The lady of the house was fascinated. It was very rare from her vast experience to meet a man with such mastery over his emotions especially one so young. That made him twice as intriguing. Miss Mei Fang was quite eager to make his acquaintance.

When all the usual pleasantries were exchanged, they settled down in a room that was surprisingly simply furnished. Mei Fang was a rare beauty but her needs were very simple: Ornate cabinets along the wall, a lacquer screen and a large writing desk occupied much of the room. At the centre of it was a large vase of chrysanthemums whose fragrance pervaded the room. Mei Fang made her own tea and set down cups for her and the Young Master Yue. By way of instruments, on display was a zither and different styles of lutes. Gracing the walls of her room were samples of Chinese and Persian calligraphy. Yuwen Yue made the observation that the penmanship was wonderfully exquisite and soon they fell into easy conversation on a wide range of topics covering Chinese literature, Persian culture and even the Persian variation of chess.

"I have a friend from Persia that travels the northern route every year and brings me the latest pieces of art work. He trades with the local merchants here in Chang'an. In fact, he's currently in the city negotiating a large shipment of artifacts."

Watching those two deep in conversation that only the educated could indulge in, Chu Qiao felt completely out of her depth. She heard them use words that she understood but in their context, she was lost. It struck her then how little she knew about Yuwen Yue outside of his pugilistic, military reputation. Like everyone, she knew the depth of his mind but was largely unaware of the breadth of his knowledge. She wasn't surprise as much as she had never even given it any kind of thought previously. But also to witness his interaction with another woman who was on the same wavelength as him, who had the same kind of mental agility as he did discussing these subjects was quite intimidating. On this occasion Chu Qiao felt her place and her lack of education acutely.

"Young Master Yue, you have a well-deserved reputation," The courtesan was heard saying. "You have knowledge and understanding that exceeds your years."

"You flatter me," was the young master's response. "My knowledge is miniscule compared to Miss Mei Fang's vast experience of the world beyond the four walls of Chang'an."

"Ah, the Young Master Yue is as modest as he is wise."

"Again you are too kind, Miss Mei Fang."

 _Are… they… flirting?_ Chu Qiao wondered. She stole a glance at Yuwen Yue who was the picture of constraint.

"You are not a frivolous man so I don't believe that Young Master Yue came here today to talk to me about poetry and history."

"There is nothing frivolous about either. One can learn much about the human condition from reading good poetry and studying history."

"Indeed. But you know that's not what I meant."

"Then I will come straight to the point," said the young master simply.

"That will be best," was the knowing retort.

"Two nights ago while we were evacuating the villages situated along the Wei River tributaries when some of my men happened upon the bodies of 6 girls age between 14-18. After an extensive search in the surrounds we discovered 4 more. Our inquiries led us to Huan Yu Pavilion… to you. We were hoping that you will cooperate with us in our investigations by answering some simple questions."

"Why would the young master concern himself with the trivial and vulgar murders of some village girls?"

It was the cavalier callousness in the older woman's tone of voice that upset Chu Qiao. The lack of concern offended her and caused her to react negatively... and instantly. She was obvious in her consternation and forgot about the role she was meant to play.

"Trivial? Those were 10 human lives!" She almost shouted.

The young master turned to her with a look that hinted of displeasure.

Chu Qiao recoiled, remembering her assigned role became subdued.

"I apologize for my servant's outburst and lack of manners," The young master said respectfully.

Mei Fang, somewhat amused, only smiled and waved it off.

"Why should I help you?"

"Because I suspect you know who's responsible for the murders."

"Am I a suspect?"

"Not unless you'd like to make a confession."

Mei Fang laughed. Almost like she was singing a strain from a tune in an opera.

"You have a sense of humour, Young Master but no, I have no need to confess to any crime."

"So why are you hiding the criminal, Miss Mei Fang?"

"Am I?" She said playfully.

"I think you know exactly who we're looking for, " said the Young Master Yue who reached the inside of his left sleeve and pulled out a sheet of paper. "This is his seal."

The young master handed a small slip of paper to her.

After a quick glance at it, the courtesan spoke up.

"Our patrons expect some measure of discretion and privacy from us. If word gets out that we talk about our patrons, it will be the end of our business."

"I understand." Yuwen Yue got up to leave. "If you change your mind, you know where you can reach me. Let's go, Xiao Xing."

Chu Qiao looked like she was starting to move off but when she reached the door, she turned around to face the courtesan defiantly.

"Does it only matter if it's of benefit to you? Can't you do it because it's the right thing to do?" She implored.

"Xing'er…" Yuwen Yue was hastily trying to get her out the door.

"You're an interesting young lady, Miss Xing'er, with interesting thoughts." Mei Fang eyed Xing'er with a penetrating stare. "But what is the right thing?"

Chu Qiao was taken aback by the question but said, "Those girls… they had the right to live… and have a full life."

The courtesan nodded but did not answer immediately. She paced around the room before saying, "What is right for you… or right for those girls… might not be right for me… Wars have been fought on lesser grounds."

Then she stopped pacing and sat down. She picked up her cup of tea and took a sip before saying,

"Do you like stories Miss Xing'er?" She didn't wait for answer before continuing, "Of course you do. Everybody does. Let me tell you one before you go. It's a favourite of mine."

After a short pause, she spoke again, "Let me see... how does one usually begin a story again… There once was a boy who grew up in a small village somewhere. No one knows where… it could have been here in Wei or Liang or even in Persia. Like many boys in all these kinds of stories he was very poor and had a very hard life at home. But he had cunning as well as a knack for business. There was nothing he wouldn't do to earn that extra bit of money. He was very good looking too and when he became a tall, strapping young man, gossip was rife about him seducing women in the village especially the youngest daughter of the county magistrate.

"Soon he was forced out of his village and to cut a long story short, he found his way to a large, peaceful city where he became a respectable man of trade in the northern part of the city. He was resourceful enough even to gain the respect of foreign traders who came in through the eastern gate. No one knows for certain but in all likelihood he attained his status among his peers by unscrupulous means. Whatever was the case, fortune was on his side and through his connections he became one of the wealthiest in the land.

"Of course the world was now his oyster and with the kind wealth he had at his disposal, he could command a lifestyle that was very specific. He would visit entertainment venues and satisfy his whims accordingly. But when his tastes became too specific for the local businesses to cater to, he was compelled to look elsewhere to satisfy his wants.

"Despite all of that, this little boy who had gone from poverty to wealth had everything except the one thing he really wanted - the girl he left behind in his home town all those years ago."

At that point the courtesan stopped her tale and turned abruptly to the young master to say,

"Did you like my story, Young Master Yue?"

"It's an excellent story, Miss Mei Fang and you tell it well."

On that note, Yuwen Yue bowed and paid his respects.

"We have taken up enough of your time, Madam. We will trouble you no further. You're an extraordinary woman and your stories of Persia are fascinating. One day in the future, when we're all at leisure, Miss Xing'er and I would love to hear more of your stories of Persia."

"I would like that very much, Young Master Yue."

* * *

Afterwards the young master summoned his people to gather around him before allocating them specific tasks to follow up on the murder investigation. Earlier he had recalled Meng Feng from Yanbei to assist them discreetly. In this instance, it was important, he felt, to deploy only people that he could trust.

"Meng Feng, I need you to protect Miss Mei Fang of Huan Yu Pavilion. You will be going undercover. She will be if she's not already in danger. Once we start we start digging around the city, the culprit will get wind of the fact that we visited her and see her as a loose end that needs tying up."

"Yes, sir."

"He Xiao, take a few men with you. According to Yue Qi's report, we can be sure that Lin Fushu has a warehouse in the northeastern corner of the city. Sneak in without being seen under the cover of darkness and see what clues you can find there."

"Yes, sir."

When all their subordinates had left, Chu Qiao turned to Yuwen Yue who was sitting at his desk writing his report to Prince Xiang regarding the evacuation and the murders.

"Are you sure that Lin Fushu is the one?" she queried.

"Yes, reasonably. Miss Mei Fang's story confirmed what I had already suspected anyway. His identity, his status, were already part of the profile that I had constructed. But the fact that he's from Liang is an interesting tit bit that I couldn't have known. I've just sent a message by carrier pigeon to Xiao Ce to get clarification on his background."

"You like her, don't you?"

"Who? Mei Fang?" The young master was still scribing meticulously. "She's an extraordinarily gifted woman who is very perceptive. She's undoubtedly at the height of her profession. It wouldn't surprise me if she's working for the Persian government and passing along intelligence while entertaining her clientele."

"She's very beautiful," Chu Qiao said deliberately, "I'm sure you noticed."

"I suppose so," was the nonchalant response.

"You suppose so…? What kind of man are you?" She made a show of being exasperated. "You don't need to keep up the pretence of being indifferent in front of me."

Yuwen Yue looked up. He promptly got up and out of his seat.

"Xing'er, you don't need to be jealous."

"I'm not jealous," She said quickly but then she hesitated, "Well, maybe a little."

The young master wandered over to her and took her hand.

"You have nothing to worry about." He assured her, squeezing her hand.

"It isn't that I'm worried about you. It's just that… How long are you going to be satisfied with me? In the long run. Your grandfather's right. I keep wondering if you wouldn't be better off with someone like Mei Fang. An elegant, well-bred woman with literary accomplishments would be more suitable for the young master of Qing Shan Yuan, a Great General of Wei. Even Concubine Wei wanted you as a son-in-law. Rather than some uncouth…"

"She's probably old enough to be my mother." The young master quipped and slipped his arms around her.

She jabbed his ribs hard and tried unsuccessfully to pull away. "That's not what I meant. It isn't just that I was a runaway slave or a rebel or a fugitive." She paused for a moment and then said, "I have to ask myself, am I a woman worthy of Yuwen Yue's love?"

Caressing the strands of her hair, the young master sighed and leaned over to brush her lips against his - gently at first and then more forcefully as if declaring… imprinting indescribable truths in a single gesture. A torrent of desire followed when their lips melded together in some kind of slow dance. Chu Qiao mesmerized, helplessly closed her eyes and surrendered to the tide of emotions sweeping her away to a destination that was unfamiliar… wonderful and terrifying at the same time.

No one in Huan Yu Pavilion would have believed in that moment that the indifferent young man who walked through their doors earlier that day was capable of that much passion.

When their lips finally drew apart, he whispered gently,

"You are the one that I want. Do you still not know?"

Their eyes lingered on one another's lips, his voice thick with emotion as he spoke.

"When I'm with you, there is no young master of Qing Shan Yuan… or General of Wei… there's only the man who wants you desperately. All of you."

Their lips met again, leaving little doubt regarding the sincere longings of the young master's heart.

* * *

Out in the backyard, the parrot could be heard squawking, "He loves her… he loves her!"

Of course Yuwen Zhuo knew that his grandson was in love with Luo He's daughter. He didn't need that silly bird to tell him that. He saw how Yue'er looked at her. It was a mirror image of himself all those years ago. He had also seen where all that led to and it ended up with him losing both his legs. As a grandfather he only wanted to protect his grandson from something worse than death… haunting regrets that never leave you. The pain of lifelong regret… of wishing one had not done this or that… of wishing one could back time and do it all differently.

What he didn't know was if she could be trusted. He decided that he didn't have to like her or her antecedents but he had to know that she would never betray Yue'er. Of course the older man had had much higher hopes for his grandson in the marriage stakes but if the boy was stubbornly holding on to this former runaway slave then the next best thing he could hope for was that she would never stab him in the back or in the heart.

The elder Yuwen studied his ungainly prisoner with some interest. Mainly because this boy owed his current state to the woman his grandson was insisting on marrying. His battered body was stirring at that moment and he was beginning to emerge from his semi-comatose state.

When his prisoner became aware that he was no longer in Lei village, his foggy mind was confronted with a cantankerous elderly man whose eyes were full of mistrust.

"Where am I?" He asked cautiously.

"You're in my prison,"

"And… who… are you?" The young man asked nervously.

"Depending on how you behave while you're here, I could be your best friend or your worst nightmare."

The young man groaned, "Not you too."

"Yes, I heard that you got beaten up by a woman," Grandfather Yuwen

"Not just any kind of woman," the young fellow insisted, "She's a fox spirit or something."

"What did you do to deserve such a beating?"

"Nothing!"

"Really?"

"As I told her, I only buried the bodies and carried messages. It was Master that did things to them."

"What things?"

"You know… touch them… take them to bed…"

"So he violated them."

"I suppose you can call it that, " the youngster admitted sullenly, "But I didn't do anything to them. I didn't deserve the beating."

"You're lucky to be alive, young man," the older man noted.

"That woman was crazy and to think I thought she was a nice sweet girl."

"You don't think you should accept some responsibility for your actions?"

"What responsibility? I was just the errand runner."

It then occurred to Yuwen Zhuo that his future granddaughter-in-law might have been on to something. So without much hesitation, he hit the youngster over the head with the cane in his hand.

* * *

Lin Fushu's warehouse was eerily deserted except for the occasional bale of cloth here and there scattered on the floor. He Xiao wondered if the culprit was already in the wind and had removed all trace of his activities from that particular location to cover his tracks. It appeared that someone had left the building rather hurriedly

He motioned for his men to spread out and search the premises to see if there was anyone present.

After some time they reported back to say that they had seen nothing of any significance and that the building was almost empty. He Xiao thought it strange and braced his men for the possibility of an ambush. He cautioned his men to be on the look out for traps.

As they scoured the place, moving from room to room, gradually making their way towards the back of the building, one of them thought he heard a whimper coming from the far end and alerted the others to the fact. Ready and armed they approached the room prepared for the possibility of mortal danger. When they reached the doors, it seemed to be locked and chained down. That seemed strange when the rest of the building was more or less vacant. This turn of events seemed oddly suspicious. He Xiao stepped forward, lifted his sword and smashed through the offending lock. One of his men jumped forward and kicked the double doors open. Now exposed to the outside, the whimpering from the inside sounded a more like sobbing.

"Who goes there?" He Xiao shouted into the darkness.

"Please… please don't hurt us…" said a frightened voice in the dark.

"How many of you?"

"Just two," the voice quivered fearfully

When they determined it was safe to do so, one of the Xiuli men lit the torch in his hand and shone it in the direction of the speaker. Everyone stared in astonishment as they saw two young women, bloody and bedraggled, shackled to the wall, cowering in the corner of the room.

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

 _It occurred to me while I was working out all the odds and ends of this particular story arc that it would take a little longer to resolve because of all the conversations that I've decided organically along the way to include as part of the OTP's journey._

 _Like everyone else, I imagine, I wanted so much more XingYue than I got from the drama. After doing such a good job establishing the romance, the drama did a rather mediocre job handling their separation and a poor one providing a satisfactory reunion. This story is a reflection of my own arrogant need for the OTP to do things together as a couple and as a team._

 _Thank you for reading and reviewing. It's always very encouraging to hear from my dear readers._


	6. Servile Bodies Part 3

In-Laws and Outlaws: Servile Bodies 3

 _Warning: More references to the unpleasant topics referred to in the previous two chapters._

* * *

Wrapped in unearthly darkness, only a single sound could be heard reverberating through the walls of the mostly empty structure. The sound… a voice, barely above a whisper, barely holding back a build up of rage… mustered what strength was needed to speak words of comfort.

"Hush… it's alright… you're safe now. Sister will make sure that no one will do this to you again. Sister will make sure that the man who did this to you will pay."

Chu Qiao who spoke bravely yet wept within, cradled the two girls in her arms and with a gentle rocking motion tried to relax them. To and fro, to and fro. Little by little she could feel the tension easing from their bruised, broken bodies. They seemed so inconsolable at first. Sobbing as if their hearts would break into a thousand pieces… shaking as if they were being exorcised from some terrible evil that had possessed them and wounded them mind, body and soul. The terror in their eyes would not be so easily erased and no words at this present time could settle the horrors in their hearts.

The soothing tone which accompanied the rhythmic strain of the words… "It's alright… it's not your fault… Sister is here to take you away from this terrible place"… gradually worked its remedy into minds of two tortured souls racked with unutterable agony.

They wept and the arms that held them both were drenched from all the tears. No one who stood there watching knew how many tears were shed or to what end. They must have wept for themselves… for the grief of something precious that had been lost… for the shame of having their bodies stripped bare… or for sheer relief for the ministrations received after the brutality experienced.

Their rescuers stood and watched helplessly in the realisation that they had little to offer in such circumstances. All they could do was watch and wait… and seethe in unspoken outrage.

"We're so sorry that we had to send for Lady Chu and you on this errand, Young Master but as you can see…"

"It's fine, He Xiao. You did well." The young master said stoically. "This was something only Xing'er could do. It was good thinking on your part. These girls are just too traumatized to think rationally."

He Xiao clenched his right hand in unspoken fury."It's hard to believe anyone could do this… Look at them… they can't be more than 16. I can understand why Lady Chu was ready to kill that scum from Lei village. I'm ready to rip this scoundrel Lin Fushu to shreds myself."

"Once we take them out of here, Lin Fushu will know that we're on to him." The young master observed.

"We can't leave them here," The commander of the Xiuli battalion asserted. "He might come back for them and heaven knows what else he would do to them."

"If he does, we have to be ready. But I'm quite certain his spies have seen us now and reported what they've seen. I don't foresee him returning."

The men who were watching… witnesses to the spectacle were shaken to the core. World weary, battle experienced men who had inflicted bloodshed, who had seen their comrades fall, who lost family in war were all deeply disturbed.

"I've a sister about the same age," One of the Xiuli men muttered angrily. "If anyone did this to her, I'd have no hesitation pummeling them to death."

"Protecting our country from foreign invaders? What about protecting our women and girls from predators within?" said another man who becoming agitated.

"Shhh… not so loud… Not sense in upsetting them anymore than they already are." A voice piped up to remind the others.

With that admonition, everyone fell silent at once. Everyone kept their thoughts to themselves… and everyone found their posture while waiting in silence

No one knew how long it was before the sobbing died down to a whimper. But they waited because they had to. When the time was right Chu Qiao gently raised two feeble girls up to a standing position. She helped them find their legs and coaxed them into taking one… two steps forward.

A whirlwind of thoughts and emotions shot through her body. She was not ready to speak of the anger within but it was time to move and leave. She found her legs and took one… two steps forward.

"Yuwen Yue, I want to take them back to Qing Shan Yuan with me."

Yuwen Yue nodded. "I've ordered a carriage to be brought here. They're in no fit state to be riding on horseback."

Despite the mood, Chu Qiao smiled bleakly. She was grateful, reassured and full of love for the man who kept his wits about him. As usual he knew… he understood… he had anticipated everything.

Then he spoke again, "I'll have the servants prepare everything, just tell me what you need."

"Thank you… Right now I just want to get these girls out of here and away from this detestable place."

"I know."

He saw through the mask she wore. Beneath the strength, the smile and the calm, anger and grief lurked below the surface.

"Yuwen Yue. Tell me that you will do everything in your power to make that man and all associates pay for this."

"I will do everything I can to see that justice is done."

Their eyes met and they understood. Words were not necessary. They lingered for a moment before he said to her, "Go. The men and I will clean up here. I will see you when I return."

The lady nodded, turning to head for the exit. Standing where he was, Yuwen Yue watched as the three women took slow, halting steps before finally disappearing through the exit.

* * *

Prince Xiang was furious and smashed his fist on the desk in front of him as he heard Yuwen Yue's report.

It was an hour after midnight but the matter was becoming one of utmost urgency. It was time, Yuwen Yue felt, to apprise His Highness of his recent discoveries. Time was of the essence and it was becoming increasingly obvious that they had to make haste.

"To think that such a thing was happening in our city," His Highness exclaimed, "Right under our noses too."

"I imagine that this has been going on for a while," remarked Yuwen Yue, "Perhaps even before we were both sent to the border. The whole affair required some level of planning and time for things to fall into place. Ironically, it took the flood to uncover this roots of this terrible thing."

"What is your next course of action?" The prince asked.

"I would like to do this by the book of course and I've been trying to gather all the evidence without alerting the chief perpetrator and co-conspirators. We have witnesses and even if they are willing to testify… or in the case of the young women we found… are capable of testifying… Lin Fushu has powerful connections in this city. The difficulty even if we have an abundant of witnesses, the Merchant Guild will inevitably close ranks, Lin Fushu will use his resources to bribe potential witnesses. I doubt Mei Fang of Huan Yu Pavilion will testify. The girls are too traumatized to be articulate. Politically, if we don't prosecute this case carefully it could seriously backfire on not just me but you as well. Our political adversaries are just waiting for the opportunity to undermine any goodwill that we have in this city… in court and among the people."

"We will have to tread carefully," The prince acknowledged. "But we cannot stand by and do nothing."

"Of course not, " agreed Yuwen Yue. "For the long-term safety of the women in this country we have to uproot this evil. These girls were someone's daughters, grandchildren and sisters. Besides, I promised Xing'er."

"Where is she? I can't imagine she'll sit this one out willingly."

"She has other more pressing concerns now. She's taken the girls we found at the storehouse back to Qing Shan Yuan."

The prince nodded and was about to say something when at that moment Yue Qi burst into the room and apologized profusely for the interruption.

"Young Master, Meng Feng sent word to say that Miss Mei Fang of Huan Yu Pavilion has been poisoned! It was one of her own maids who did it!"

"Has the maid been apprehended and interrogated?" The young master asked immediately.

Yue Qi seemed reluctant to answer at first, "It's an unusual poison, Miss Mei Fang is in a comatose state. The maid committed suicide afterwards and left a note behind confessing to it."

"What?" The prince jumped out of his seat stunned mainly by the speed at which events were unfolding. "How? What did the note say?"

"She hanged herself in her quarters. Confessed that she had been stealing from her mistress for some time now and got caught. She was afraid of being exposed and took extreme measures."

"How convenient. Our adversary is moving quickly and closing in," Yuwen Yue commented wryly, "No surprises there when there's so much at stake for them."

"What are you going to do now? The perpetrator is clearly tying up loose ends." Prince Xiang sounded concerned.

"It's a good thing I had the notion to take that lackey from Lei village home with me. Not that he knows much but he knows enough to do some damage. His testimony alone won't be enough in a court of law but he can be useful in other ways."

"What are you thinking?"

"I am thinking that he can tell us who Lin Fushu's co-conspirators are." The young master said. "Yue Qi, I need Grandfather to find out where Xiao Chou sent those messages to."

"Yes, sir."

"Tighten security around Qing Shan Yuan with the help of the Xiuli men. Get Xing'er to move the girls into the secret chamber and stay there for the night at least."

"Should we expect company, sir?"

"We cannot be too careful."

"Yuwen Yue, what can I do to help?" The prince was eager to do his part.

"I need someone who can put me in touch with the Persian traders. An interpreter would be helpful as well. May I remind Your Highness that these persons have to be discreet and trustworthy."

"Persian traders? Why?"

"I need a backup plan."

* * *

It was quiet outside and on this unholy night, the secret chamber of Qing Shan Yuan would serve as a place of refuge… not just for a grandfather who lied to the world about his passing but for two adolescent girls who had suffered a fate worse than death.

Inside the secret chamber, Chu Qiao and the girls huddled together for warmth in a bricked corner. Clinging on to their newfound sister for dear life, refusing the touch of anyone else, these girls had found their safe place and their pillar.

It was a familiar place for Chu Qiao… once labeled a nondescript Xiao Liu. Holding these girls so closely and tightly brought back memories of surviving with Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba. It seemed like eons ago when they were vulnerable maids suffering at the hands and whims of others. The painful memory of being bullied, always looking over their shoulders for any sign of the enemy… the memory of craving revenge for wrongs done against their innocent loved ones. All that pain which once drove her to act on impulse had never really gone away. Always lying dormant, it was there now bubbling in empathy for those girls cradling in her arms.

On this night she was a different person from what she had been. Previously she had seen the world through a different window… of anger, resentment and vengeance. Running from wolves and arrows she had seen firsthand the reality of power as a tool of oppression. She saw it again even when she left Chang'an to join Yan Xun in his crusade against evil. With her own eyes she saw Yan Xun who was one of the oppressed become the oppressor for vengeance's sake. The man who once spoke of his love for freedom was no longer a friend of it.

Perhaps the impulse for freedom was too strong in her but she had resisted becoming the evil she fought against. It would have been so easy to succumb as Yan Xun did to the power that subjugated the helpless. Great men often did fall prey to its lure. But she learnt that she had a choice in that temptation. Or perhaps it wasn't the power for its own sake that interested her in the first place. For her, the pain that fuelled the anger had become a tool of empathy.

Yuwen Yue showed her a different way, a better way perhaps… Power, strength harnessed well could be used effectively to protect the weak. From his example, his intelligence, his strength and his courage were all used for the good of family, country and for her. Even before witnessing first hand the sufferings of the commoners, he must have already understood that no man was free from power's allure.

"Sister, is the bad man coming here?"

"If he does, the good men outside will protect us from him. There are also the grandfather and the uncle who are guarding the entrance who will protect us."

"I'm afraid, Sister."

"I know. Don't be, Sister Xing'er will take care of you." Xing'er assured her, "I know it's hard but close your eyes. If you can, try and get some sleep. No one will hurt you while I am here. See this red sword in my hand? I've protected a whole city with it. It will protect us from any evildoers."

Soothed by the words and the confidence of their comforter, the girls closed their eyes and leaned up against Xing'er for security. As she rocked them ever so gently, they soon began to feel drowsy and drift off to sleep. Settled by their newly acquired peace of mind, Xing'er soon gave in to her weariness.

Only a short distance away, the grandfather overheard that conversation. Mention of the Can Hong sword piqued his notice. Despite deep reservations, the scowl on his face was temporarily replaced by a trace of a smile. It was common knowledge that Yue'er had given Xing'er the Can Hong sword 4 years earlier. It was also common knowledge that she had taken it with her into Yanbei. Now she was back at Qing Shan Yuan still holding on to it. Surely, he had to conclude, the sword had great significance for her.

There was a family legend attached to that sword that was not as widely known. The Can Hong and the Po Yue swords were indeed a pair. Indeed they were reputed to be lovers' swords but not many knew the story behind it. Their ancestor had both swords commissioned and had given the Can Hong sword to his betrothed. In the middle of an almighty battle, he had lost sight of her. Thinking he had lost her at the end of the skirmish, he wandered around the battlefield, grief-stricken and in despair. He chanced upon the sword and found her under a pile of bodies barely alive. It was said afterwards that the Po Yue and Can Hong swords are inextricably bound to each other and lovers that wield the swords will always find their way back to each other. Yuwen Zhuo had always been somewhat sceptical of the legend even while he considered himself a strict adherent to traditions and customs. He was convinced the swords themselves had no magical properties but perhaps the man who gives it to the woman that he loves… is a man who loves greatly. Perhaps too, Fate favours those who are willing to scale mountains and cross valleys for one that is beloved.

But what was more compelling in this case was that she had held on to the Can Hong sword despite standing shoulder to shoulder with Yan Xun, despite her sworn enmity with the Yuwen clan. Even when she was with another man, even when she journeyed to another country, she wielded it as her weapon of choice. That very fact more than anything gave Yuwen Zhuo a glimpse into her heart… opened his eyes to how she felt about his grandson.

That realization brought some measure of relief to the Elder Yuwen. The last thing he wanted was for his grandson to go through the pain that he endured. Most people assumed that Yue'er was a cold, unfeeling person… immune to the emotional foibles that beset the rest of the human race. In fact the opposite was true. Indeed Yue'er outwardly had always demonstrated great mastery over his emotions but he was always a deeply sensitive boy. His mother's death struck him hard and he was never the same afterwards.

Watching her comforting the two girls, caring for them and acting the responsible older sister helped him to understand a little of what it was that Yue'er was attracted to but more vitally, the effect that she had on him.

* * *

Elsewhere Yuwen Yue was sipping freshly made tea in someone else's sitting room. While the residents of Qing Shan Yuan were bracing themselves for a night attack, the young master was making an urgent visit before the first call of the rooster. Through the Minister of Trade, he was able to track down a very specific Persian merchant.

"You keep unusual habits, Young Master Yuwen Yue," The speaker's eyes sparkled with more than a hint of amusement. Curiosity rather than annoyance marked the tone of his speech.

"I apologize for paying a visit at such an unusual hour but it was a matter of great urgency. I would not have done so if I hadn't thought it important enough," said the young master respectfully before adding, "You speak Chinese very well, if I may say so."

"I have been travelling through the Northern Route to the Central Plains for two decades now so I've had numerous opportunities to learn the language and use it. But how can I help you?"

"You and I have a mutual acquaintance, Miss Mei Fang of Huan Yu Pavilion and this matter is one of life and death."

At the mention of Mei Fang, the Persian became leery and less affable.

"What makes you think I am acquainted with Miss Mei Fang?"

Yuwen Yue saw the change in disposition and patiently said, "Mr Tehrani, you probably have your reasons for not being forthcoming about your relationship with Mei Fang but that's not my concern right now. Her life hangs in a balance. She's been poisoned by a unique blend of herbs and is currently in a coma. I don't have the time to go into all the details but my physician and I are working on an antidote. However, the man who did this… a wealthy merchant with powerful connections… will probably strike again until he is certain that she cannot speak about his vile activities."

On hearing that Mei Fang's life was hanging in a balance, Tehrani became much more attentive.

"You say that Mei Fang is dying? And that this Chinese merchant is responsible?" he asked anxiously.

Yuwen Yue nodded.

"Tell me everything," Tehrani demanded.

* * *

"Excellent job," The Old Master of Qing Shan Yuan praised the leader of the Yue guards, "We should take a good look at these assassins and see what these dog-villains look like."

"Couldn't have done it without the help of the Xiuli men," Yue Qi replied. "These scoundrels put up quite a bit of a fight and injured a few of ours. Still, I have no doubt they're _jiang hu_ mercenaries."

Taking advantage of the darkness, a dozen masked figures clothed in black had flown into the compound at Qing Shan Yuan armed with swords, hidden weapons and poison darts. They had intended to sneak in unawares to search for their designated targets but were stopped in their tracks by equally armed men who had been waiting for their arrival. The Yue guards and the Xiuli men unsheathed their swords when the interlopers descended from the rooftop. Furious fighting ensued and the clanging of swords could be heard a mile away. The reflection of swords and javelins gleamed by the pale moonlight as the two sides clashed. Lunging, dodging and weaving characterized the chaos that dotted Qing Shan Yuan's landscape before the break of dawn.

In no time the sneak attack had been thwarted, the interlopers dispatched. Casualties were sustained largely on the side of the mercenaries. After doing a thorough search of the bodies, each was found to have carried a bag of fifty pieces of silver each.

"They didn't ask for much, did they?" Yuwen Zhuo noted dryly. "Fifty pieces of silver for their lives. 50 times 12… their lives were cheap for the asking."

"Times are hard," was Yue Qi's response. "And they weren't exactly the cream of the crop."

"Lin Fushu got himself a bargain to be sure but these fellows did enough damage." Zhan Mo commented as he surveyed the aftermath of the skirmish. "At least you kept one of them alive. Not sure how much he can tell us."

"How are the girls?" Yue Qi asked.

"Asleep."

"It's good that they were able to sleep through all that. Those girls were so terrified when we found them. Not too surprising considering what they've been through. Only Miss Xing'er could calm them down."

"She certainly has a way with them." The Elder Yuwen acknowledged. "One of the girls woke up screaming at the top of her lungs but Xing'er managed to console her back to sleep."

"I don't know how anyone ever recovers from something like that."

"Some never do."

* * *

Before leaving the Persian merchant's dwelling place, Yuwen Yue contemplated his next course of action. His first thought was to pay Lin Fushu a visit and press the man for answers or even push him for a confession. Nevertheless, he was hesitant to take that course of action for fear of Lin Fushu of cutting his losses and leaving the city hurriedly. Lin Fushu had the resources to move on elsewhere and replicate this heinous edifice elsewhere. Furthermore the prominent individuals who were in league with Lin Fushu were a sizable number and they would throw their weight behind him at the first sign of trouble.

The list of addresses that Xiao Chou had given them hadn't been a huge surprise to Yuwen Yue who'd been keeping tabs on these individuals through the eyes of God for some time… two heads of prominent families, a scion of a powerful clan, a handful of high ranking officials, select merchants and miscellaneous shop owners. What he realised was how well-placed they were politically to protect Lin Fushu's interests. The merchant had covered all his bases and seen to it that he was untouchable politically. It was a well-constructed edifice that would have undoubtedly taken time to erect.

Young Master Yue wondered momentarily if it were better for him to return to Qing Shan Yuan and regroup with his subordinates. He brushed aside concerns for their safety with the knowledge that if worse came to worst, Xing'er would be able to deal with any kind of large assault force.

In the end, Yuwen Yue made the decision to see Prince Xiang, to get his permission to arrest the merchant and go from there. Failing that, there was the contingency plan, which he was loath to activate except when there was no other recourse.

When the young master got to the palace, the suspects and other assorted cronies had already gathered on their own accord, creating an uproar in court. The whole place became noisier on his arrival. Once again his adversaries were quick to mobilize.

 _This must be the earliest court session ever held in Chang'an's history. And the most enthusiastic._

As he had expected, the accusations were coming thick and fast. First they accused Yuwen Yue for aiding and abetting felons and rebels. Then they demanded that Prince Xiang launch an investigation into Qing Shan Yuan and its connection to Yanbei. There was a unified chorus insisting repeatedly that Yuwen Yue be stripped of his titles and privileges. The loudest noise was left for His Highness who was accused, in no uncertain terms, of letting his friendship with Yuwen Yue affect his judgment by not looking into the matter sooner. They pointed out that politically this was not a good look and could hurt the 7th prince in time to come.

As proof of their sincerity, these men were going to hold a sitting protest until Prince Xiang acceded to every single one of their demands.

Yuwen Yue had been bracing himself for such a moment since his return to Chang'an so he had been prepared to face the consequences of bringing Xing'er and the others back. But it was never his intention to drag the prince down with him. However, the time was not yet right for him to make his exit. There was still the matter of taking down Lin Fushu and he needed to buy himself as much time as he could.

Prince Xiang apparently understood that and motioned for those present to be silent.

"No one can question the patriotism and loyalty of General Yuwen in service of his country. He took back Meilin Pass and brought Prince Yuan Song safely into Yanbei. He also convinced a group of Yanbei rebels to help him break Yan Xun's ambush and they decimated a quarter of his force. Without General Yuwen we would never have achieved this level of success.

Yuwen Yue then took centre stage and spoke.

"Whatever I may or may not be guilty of with regards to my actions during the battle with Yan Xun, I am prepared to give an accounting for the decisions I made on the battlefield. But this is not the right time. I am in the middle of investigating a series of rapes and murders…"

At the mention of the rapes and murders, his words were drowned in loud protests and accusations.

"That's not your responsibility! Leave it to the tribunal!"

"You're trying to stall for time!"

"You need to answer to this court for your deeds. You have no right to investigate the crimes of others."

When Yuwen Yue was about to speak again, Prince Xiang intervened.

"Due to his effective service as successor of Eyes of God, I gave Yuwen Yue my blessing and permission to investigate the rapes which were uncovered during the floods. As this was something that affected the safety of the residents of Chang'an, I felt that he was best suited to deal with things particularly because his men found the bodies while evacuating the flood victims."

This was met with a cry of protest and accusations that Prince Xiang was acting recklessly and had no regard for the laws of the land or due process. It was a conflict of interest, they insisted. They demanded that General Yuwen stand down and even that Prince Xiang be removed. This back and forth went on for some time before Yuwen Yue felt it was time for him to make himself heard again.

As the young master of Qing Shan Yuan was about to make his defence, an attendant rushed in with a report of the greatest urgency. Everyone fell silent immediately and the entire place was so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

The attendants whispered into the prince's ear and immediately His Highness' face registered a look of astonishment.

When the attendant finished what he had to say, the prince turned to his captive audience, who was waiting with baited breath concerned now with what shocking news the prince had received.

"A killing has occurred in the Northern District involving the merchant Lin Fushu. As General Yuwen was involved in investigating Lin Fushu for rape and corruption, this discussion will be postponed until that investigation has been completed."

Those in attendance were too stunned to respond.

* * *

"Was it really self-defence, Tehrani?"

A week later, the young master of Qing Shan Yuan posed that question to the Persian merchant as he saddled his horse outside the eastern gate. The Persian merchant had given himself up for the killing of Lin Fushu and pleaded self-defence. He claimed that Lin Fushu had refused to make payment for a shipment of goods. In short, they both had words which then led to fisticuffs. Next thing Tehrani knew, Lin Fushu pulled out a dagger (which was found at the scene) and aimed it in his direction and Tehrani pulled out his in self-defence. The servants had heard the men arguing although as they didn't understand Persian, it was impossible to make out what was said.

"In a matter of speaking, perhaps. But no one can be sure of it, can they?"

"I expect not." The young master Yue conceded. "But it was a high price to pay. You won't be able to come back into Chang'an again. Legally, at least."

"Is it?" Tehrani's eyes danced with amusement. "What wouldn't you do for the woman you love?"

Tehrani glanced quickly at the pretty young woman with the red sword that had accompanied Yuwen Yue to see him off. She was standing some distance away giving them a little privacy before saying their farewells.

"Isn't there an expression in the Central Plains about 'borrowing another's sword to kill?'"

"Yes…" the young master said briefly. "But…"

"Isn't that why you came to me?"

The young master hesitated and then nodded.

"It's alright, Yuwen Yue. The sword was willing and as you said, you have things you need to protect and I had things I had to protect. You were right. Mei Fang would never be safe as long as that degenerate blackguard was freely roaming this world. How is she doing?"

"Much better. We expect full recovery in two weeks."

"From now on, Mei Fang's safety is in your hands."

"I will do my best," The young master promised. "Thank you… Tehrani for everything and for the gift as well."

"Oh that. It's just a little souvenir to mark the occasion of our one and only collaboration. Consider it an early wedding present."

A faint smile spread across the young master's face as his bade his new acquaintance farewell. Not long afterwards Tehrani jumped on his horse and took off into the distance without turning back.

The young master opened the souvenir and inside the wooden receptacle made in Persian style was a sheaf of papers rolled into a scroll. Examining it closely, he quickly came to the conclusion that it was a ledger… Lin Fushu's ledger… containing all his business transactions and miscellaneous dealings with many individuals from the highest echelons of society. Each page had been clearly marked with his seal with the word "bao".

The young master shook his head. "The debt we owe this man is truly too great."

The pretty young woman who stood beside him reluctantly agreed. "Perhaps. But it would have given me no lack of satisfaction to carve up that degenerate Lin Fushu into a dozen pieces."

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

 _Lest dog lovers take offence, the use of "dog" as a pejorative in reference to morally questionable human beings was commonly used in ancient times._

 _However, my claim to historical accuracy on other matters can be said to be dubious at best. Throughout this story arc I have made oblique references to the Silk Road and trade with foreigners as it suited me to although historians have generally placed the establishment of the Silk Road during the Qin dynasty. I used the term Northern Route as it was the common term used to designated what we now call the Silk Road. The eastern gate of Chang'an was its eastern terminus._

 _I also took the liberty of making up some kind of legend behind the Can Hong and Po Yue swords. It occurred to me while writing this chapter that the swords were crying out for some kind of backstory so I fabricated something that felt probable to me at least._

 _My apologies also for posting this late. Aside from struggling with its execution… trying to find the right approach for it, I came down with a really bad case of the hay fever on the weekend, which lasted for over 24 hours, and followed by a day or two of recovery. I blame the blustery weather we had for that._

 _Many have asked me if I intend to continue Post-Mortem and my answer to that question is that In-Laws and Outlaws can be considered my follow up to it. Thanks to everyone to has been reading and following this story. Special appreciation to those who have posted comments/reviews all this time._


	7. Love in the Days of Cholera 1

In-Laws and Outlaws: Love in the Days of Cholera 1

* * *

 _Yuwen Yue… where are you?_

 _You'd better be alive._

 _I did not save you to lose you again._

 _I will find you… wait for me… I will find you_

 _You cannot die… not without my permission. You promised me that we would be together no matter what… You cannot leave me without telling me… without saying goodbye._

 _I need you. Can you hear me?_

 _Help me find you. Please._

A myriad of thoughts haunted Chu Qiao as she searched desperately through the camp… trudging through the muddy filth with the stench of vomit, sweat and faeces reaching her nostrils. The scenario in front of her was an all-too human tragedy unfolding. Some thought it the eleventh court of hell and Yama had unleashed _diyu_ on earth. Writhing dehydrated bodies strewn everywhere accompanied by the continuous coda of human suffering: Groans of agony. Sobs of the dying. The smell of death. Pleas for help. Cries for mercy. Prayers to heaven… for salvation and healing. The squalor had exacerbated the crisis and it was no fit place for humans.

"Xing'er, you shouldn't be here you know."

"It's fine, Yue Qi. I need to be here. It's better than being at Qing Shan Yuan waiting for news."

"He wouldn't want you to be here… You could get infected. This place is like a death camp."

"I absolutely cannot be sitting at home wondering if he's alive when he needs me."

Although the horrors of what seemed to be the beginnings of an epidemic were evident, her priorities lay elsewhere. Yuwen Yue had gone missing. Three days gone and not a word. A conference with His Highness, a hasty exit and a promise to be back the next day. The trail they followed led them here. His disappearance had given the residents of Qing Shan Yuan a sense of foreboding. Coupled with this was a new calamity the locals called _huo luan_. Official records from the past named it a scourge on the city that would threaten the lives of thousands. The more religious saw it as punishment from heaven meted out to a country riddled with corruption and poor leadership. It seemed as if the flood was just the harbinger of doom that would befall the entire land.

The refugees that had descended upon Chang'an due to the flood had remained in the city. Many had lost all their earthly goods in the recent floods. They had become a displaced people with nowhere to go except the camp, with no resources to rebuild a new life in the old hometown or anywhere else. They had escaped the floods only to fall victim to another human disaster compounded by a lack of human and material resources.

She was roaming this putrid landscape with only Yue Qi as her guide and sounding board. He knew best how the young master worked in such situations and was best placed to call upon those who answered to the Eyes of God network.

The symptoms were all the same. Watery diarrhoea after a day or two. Vomitting, then dehydration followed by incredible thirst. Therein lay the problem. There was no water… no clean water… drinkable water to bring relief to parched bodies.

"Xing'er… we found his handkerchief… He can't be too far away."

* * *

Three days earlier Yuwen Yue was standing in front of Prince Xiang in answer to his royal summons. It was a matter of life and death, the prince insisted. The young master had grunted warily.

 _Isn't it always?_

"I seem to remember resigning," reminded Young Master Yue.

Prince Xiang, not willing to take 'no' for answer, waved off the comment airily. "Well, I don't remember accepting your resignation officially. It's still on my desk. Besides, I am the highest authority in the land at present. What I say goes."

Yuwen Yue shifted uncomfortably before saying. "Your Highness, if I keep doing things on your behalf, I'm going to bring unnecessary attention to myself and to you eventually. Remember there are a lot of people who aren't happy with either of us after the Lin Fushu incident."

"I need someone I can trust."

Yuwen Yue cleared his throat. "I'm flattered, Your Highness by your high regard of me. However, are things so bad in the state of Wei that there's no one else who can do this for you?"

"Yes… most probably. Unfortunately, His Majesty let a lot of things slide and many individuals got away with things that they shouldn't have. It was only because His Majesty wanted to maintain the balance of power that he's so fond of pontificating about that he closed an eye to many things. It's up to me to pick up the pieces now before things get really out of control and I need you to help me."

"May I remind you, Your Highness that we are both in a politically precarious position right now. I'm not sure if it's prudent to rock the boat."

"You don't have to remind me. But we have Lin Fushu's ledger, don't we? We can use that as leverage and keep the wolves at bay."

"Lin Fushu's ledger is a powder keg that can quite easily blow up in our faces too. It's a double-edge sword, Your Highness."

On this matter Prince Xiang was like a dog that found a bone and would not let it go without a fight. "But this matter of looking into where the flood relief has gone to is urgent," he persisted. "There are thousands of people squatting in Chang'an in need of it, waiting for it."

"Shouldn't this be the purview of the Minister of Justice and his office or the Minister of Finance?"

"Yes, it is but I want you to go undercover and investigate what's going on at the coalface at the refugee camp."

"Don't you have people who can do that?"

"I've sent two men but it's been two days and I've heard nothing. I'm really concerned. Since you're more or less the expert in these matters…"

Yuwen Yue nodded thoughtfully but did not respond immediately. In the silence he considered all the things he was hoping to do at Qing Shan Yuan but would now have to put off to a later time. He sighed and reluctantly accepted that enjoying a time of rest with Xing'er was a lost cause. A while later when it was obvious that the prince was increasingly impatient for a response, he put forward his counter-offer.

"I will assist you on two conditions. Firstly, you will grant Xing'er and the Xiuli men a royal pardon when I complete my mission. Secondly, once Lin Fushu's affairs have been settled and his assets confiscated, you will apportion a certain amount of money as compensation to the girls we found in the warehouse. I want all of this in writing with your seal on it."

"You are such an suspicious, untrusting individual."

"I grew up in service of the court, remember? And if you insist on pulling me back into court politics despite my reservations, you should be prepared to make it worth my while… at the very least."

"What happened to duty and the people?"

"I have other priorities now."

Prince Xiang frowned and deliberated the matter. "You drive a hard bargain, Yuwen Yue but I will acquiesce to your request. How are the girls doing?"

"Much better but they won't leave their room without Xing'er. They're practically tied to Xing'er like chicks to a mother hen."

"How do you feel about that?"

"It's fine for now but when we marry…" Yuwen Yue hesitated. He looked oddly and uncomfortably troubled by the prospect of what all that may entail.

"It may become a serious problem," noted the prince with something akin to a smirk on his face.

It started out being a day just like any other.

* * *

Xing'er was not at all enthusiastic about his leaving on the spur of the moment. Watching him pack his things and putting together his disguise gave her unpleasant pangs. It wasn't just that he was leaving on his own but the fact that he would be off on some secret mission that she couldn't be a part of made her despondent. After spending the past few years running away from him, something inside of her wanted so much to be a part of everything he did. Of course she knew that those girls needed her like newborns attached to their mother. She had earned their trust and they would not take a step out of the room unless she was present. It was a strange new world for them. A safer world but still one populated by men. Her old room, which had once been the place of plots and schemes was now a refuge for these mistreated young women. While they convalesced in this room, she retold tales of her past... her triumphs... and her errors of judgment.

The older girl nearly 17, was called Xiao Le and the younger, Shui Zhu, was 15. Xiao Le was from a village at the border. She was the one more inclined to speak. Her resilience also came from the fact that she was left to look after 4 younger siblings on her own when her father died. Her mother had died while giving birth to the youngest brother several years before. She was hazy about the timeline but believed that Lin Fushu had her kidnapped a year or so ago. Her greatest concern, now that she had regained her freedom, was for the siblings she left behind in the border town.

Shui Zhu was shyer and less forthcoming but she was able to say that she was from Yanbei. She was left all alone when her grandmother died and was taken not long afterwards by masked men.

All of this suggested a definite pattern that he had already deduced was in operation. Yuwen Yue was convinced that this ring obviously had a network of spotters and groomers finding young vulnerable females in remote areas with no families. It would take time to dismantle the entire structure. Lin Fushu's ledger had names of people he didn't know and he suspected that they were probably the leader's eyes and ears out in the regions. Realistically it would be a needle in a haystack hunting down all these individuals but perhaps starting with these girls as the point of reference would be the best thing. As a start, the young master dispatched No. 8 and No. 9 to the border to find Xiao Le's village and make inquiries about her siblings. They had a local Eyes of God contact that they could liaise with. It had been on the tip of his tongue to suggest that Xiao Le go along but he knew exactly what Xing'er would've said to that idea.

Yuwen Yue understood that as long as she was a conduit for those two girls to the outside world, they would be permanently attached to Xing'er. That attachment was a knotty problem that would require his attention when he returned from his "hunting expedition". It was an outcome, he decided, that wasn't conducive to long-term matrimonial harmony. He had quietly contemplated sending them back to their hometowns once they recovered from their physical injuries but since they were orphans and quite traumatized, it was unlikely that Xing'er would agree to leave them to their own devices.

He wasn't wild for joy about leaving Xing'er either but thought that since he had decided to lend a hand to His Highness he would make the best of the situation.

"It shouldn't take me all that long to finish the job." He tried assuring her.

She was unconvinced. "Why do you have to go? Can't you send Yue Qi?"

"Well, it's a delicate matter involving large sums of money and His Highness insist I handle it personally."

"That's what happens when you make yourself so indispensible, Yuwen Yue. Everyone thinks of you as their errand boy."

He saw the crestfallen look on her face and felt her disappointment. Still, he kept up the appearance of being cheerful.

"What are you so grumpy about? Are you going to miss me? I'm not going away for too long. A day at the most."

She turned up her nose at him. "Miss you? Bah… No way! I'm just worried that you'll get into trouble without me."

"It's true that I'd rather get into trouble with you… it's much more fun."

Yuwen Yue leaned in more intimately for a hug and Xing'er awkwardly shifted position espying the Elder Yuwen hovering around in close proximity.

"Your grandfather's watching. Not right now." She whispered.

"No. We wouldn't want him to think that there was actually something between us… that we are two people who are about to marry." The young master muttered sarcastically.

Without warning he reached down to hug her.

Her first instinct was to pull away with embarrassment. Knowing that it would be a useless attempt at modesty, she relaxed and smiled in spite of herself. "You live dangerously, Yuwen Yue."

"I imagine that's why I have a hard time saying 'no' to anyone who wants to drag me into some kind of dangerous situation."

"I don't like the sounds of that. Maybe I should go." She said frowning suspiciously. "I'm sure the girls will be fine on their own for a day. Or you could take Yue Qi with you, you know."

"He's on another errand. Besides I want him to protect you and the girls when he gets back. There's no telling what Lin Fushu's associates might get up to next.

"I can look after myself."

"And so can I. But you have people to worry about now. You need someone to watch your back."

"There are the Xiuli men…"

"Who are in a very precarious political position. Everyone's in a very tenuous place right now. You need to be careful about how you respond to situations. Look, I'll be back before you know it and you'll be so busy with those girls that you won't notice that I'm gone."

"Be careful, alright?"

"When am I not?"

* * *

Although of late his relationship with his grandfather was not without its problems, the young master felt the need to say a few words before his departure.

"So you're off on another mission for Prince Xiang?"

"Yes, Grandfather."

"I'm surprised you agreed. These days you're so preoccupied with more personal matters that I'm surprised you even have the time to undertake missions." The grandfather nodded his head in Xing'er's direction.

"Well, it's important enough and I've negotiated my price with His Highness."

"A price? You make it sound like a business transaction."

"It is."

"It's a sad day when the Yuwen family become mercenaries."

"It's only temporary."

"Have you told your father?"

"I don't have a father," declared the young master flatly.

"You should tell him." The grandfather insisted.

"About what? That I've become a mercenary? I'm sure he'll be thrilled," said the young master in a tone thick with sarcasm.

"Her. Getting married. He might like to know that his son is preparing to marry." The grandfather pointed his cane in Xing'er's direction.

"If he even remembers he has a son." The young master was stubbornly refusing to concede the point.

"Tell him, Yue'er." His grandfather persisted. "Even though you have your differences, he is your elder."

"I will give it consideration."

"Whatever you think he's not done for you, he is still your father."

It occurred later to Yuwen Yue that Grandfather seemed much more amenable about the upcoming nuptials than he had been previously.

* * *

The finance minister was in a state of panic.

The refugee crisis was turning into a political fiasco. It was escalating into a public health issue and a security problem. As a result there was increasing political pressure to direct more monetary resources into solving the crisis particularly because there were murmurs of terrible conditions in the camps due to a lack of proper sanitation provisions like clean drinking water. Rumours were rife that _huo luan_ had returned. No one had heard and seen it for at least over two hundred years but the older physicians had recalled descriptions of it in some older medical manuscripts. In their expert opinion the refugee camp in the southern district was becoming a breeding ground for _huo luan_.

But no, it wasn't the refugee crisis or the possibility of an epidemic that sent the finance minister into a nervous frenzy. It was the reason why the crisis and the epidemic occurred that the finance minister was primarily concerned about.

Money.

Plain and simple.

Not necessarily for himself. But for some powerful and needy individuals who were blackmailing him.

He was only too aware that Prince Xiang was not someone who was prepared to look the other way. The disappearance of a large sum of money could not be accounted for. The day of reckoning was near and the finance minister, Lin Zhiwei was right in the middle of it.

For this reason the Minister of Finance was having a war of words with one of his strange bedfellows. Lin Zhiwei was only too aware that this could potentially destroy his reputation and he was panicking. Unlike the finance minister, this associate was hardheaded about the whole affair.

"You know what's going to happen now, don't you? His Highness Prince Xiang is going to investigate. You and I know who he's going to put on the case. There's no one else he trusts. It's only a matter of time before he finds out what happened to the money if he doesn't already suspect it."

"How was I supposed to know there was going to be a flood?"

"It was your responsibility to keep things under wraps!"

"People were dying! People are dying!"

"You're developing a conscience now, are you?"

"Nobody was supposed to get hurt, much less murdered. Stealing the money was the only thing I signed up for."

"For a man who has a political appointment you are incredibly naïve." The man in the mask said. "Or probably… it was just convenient for you to ignore the uncomfortable question of where the money you were siphoning off the treasury was going to."

"I didn't have a choice. I didn't want to be a part of your conspiracy in the first but I was blackmailed."

"Of course you had a choice. " The other man said. "But you chose to keep your job and your head."

"It was an accident!" The minister protested.

"It doesn't matter now. Lin Fushu is dead and it's everyman for himself. It is only a matter of time before he's on to us."

"We cannot go up against Yuwen Yue." The minister protested. "It's will be like stirring up all of hell.

"Well, it's that or death."

* * *

It wasn't as if Yuwen Yue had no idea who was behind the embezzlement funds that were, on paper, designated for disaster relief or various infrastructure projects. Lin Fushu was very meticulous in his ledger and there were many names in that ledger that were known to him. It wasn't difficult to put two and two together especially when only a handful of officials had that kind of intimate access to treasury funds. He was, however, keen to see how far this entire thing went. It was partly curiosity and partly a feeling of duty to see the whole thing through… to demolish the abomination that had taken root at the heart of Wei governance due to greed and licentiousness. Lin Fushu may have preyed on the weaknesses of others to fund his lavish lifestyle but no one had the perspicacity to stand up to him. He was a beast that was nurtured by others. At the end of the day it was the ordinary people who suffered when their so-called "betters" didn't have the moral courage to do the right thing. Those who stood by and did nothing were just as guilty as those who perpetrated the crimes.

Disguised as a beggar, Yuwen Yue tracked a source through his Eyes of God contact in a back alley somewhere in the southern district. Acting the part of the beggar was a new role for him and it opened his eyes to a sub-culture that had its own power structure. Today he was the new boy in the playground and he had to pay his dues to the bigger boys. It was a crude extortion racket with its own hierarchical struture but effective on some level in keeping law and order among the homeless who roamed the streets.

Through the network that the beggars already had in place, the news coming out of the refugee camp was that people were dying very quickly from some terrible disease. There was a shortage of food, drink and proper sanitation. The neglect he was hearing about disturbed Yuwen Yue more than the actual embezzlement of treasury funds.

In the evening, Yuwen Yue retired to a nearby inn as a hunched elderly gentleman with serious arthritis. In it he was virtually unrecognizable even as he passed by people and shops that he knew. He took a room on the second floor facing the street and allowed himself to be helped up the stairs. He ordered tea and a few side dishes before telling the waiter that he was retiring early for the night, specifying that he did not want to be disturbed for the rest of the evening.

When the waiter left, he sat down and peeled off his disguise. He gulped down two cups of tea while consuming the dishes that were brought to him earlier. Once he was satisfied that he had enough, he changed into his dark blue robes, fitted on his bat-like flying contraption in readiness for the next item on his evening agenda.

He moved stealthily out of the room and headed for the roof. When he got to the roof, he used it as his launching pad for takeoff heading off in a northerly direction. It was his intention to meet an Eyes of God asset who was a servant in the household of a prominent family at an appointed time.

"How are you, Young Master?" The Eyes of God Contact was called Lu Han.

"I am well. Did you manage to look into the matter I asked you to?"

Lu Han was ready with an answer. "I did and I found that the trail led to General Qin, who is responsible for dispensing relief supplies. Whether he is solely responsible or whether someone is using him as a cover, that hasn't been determined."

"General Qin?" The young master sounded surprised. "He's a bit of a stick-in-the-mud but I never pegged him as being dishonest. Besides, I don't remember him on the list. Still, I should look into that."

"Would you like me to come with you?" asked Lu Han.

"No need. I don't really want you to blow your cover either. I have met the general on several occasions. While we're not exactly friends, we've had dealings with one another."

"Go carefully, young master. You have no idea what else you could unearth while you're investigating this matter. Or whose feathers you might be ruffling."

"I will."

* * *

Not long afterwards, Yuwen Yue was ushered into General Qin's study by a nervous-looking family retainer who served him a warm but very bitter cup of tea which the young master sipped out of politeness rather than any real enthusiasm for the drink itself. He waited patiently but the master of the domicile failed to attend to his guest immediately which Young Master Yue thought was strange. The young master got up, walked around the study to look at the objects on display. Suddenly he felt dizzy and clutched on to a chair nearby. He realized instantly that there was something else other than tea in that concoction he had been sipping. There was little doubt that he had been betrayed. After sitting down he took out the antidote preparation that he always kept with him, gulped it down and put himself into a deep meditative state.

* * *

Chu Qiao was impatient for news of the young master even while she kept herself busy preparing meals with the two girls and supervised the construction of temporary housing for the Xiuli men a few hundred metres away from the mansion. At the back of her mind there was a feeling of foreboding that she couldn't shake. Xiao Le, it turned out was an experienced cook and a far better one than Chu Qiao was. She noticed that Sister Xing'er's mind seemed to be elsewhere while the two of them were pottering in the kitchen.

"Sister, are you alright?"

"Me? Yes, why?"

"Your heart doesn't seem to be here."

"Isn't it?"

"Are you worried about the young master?"

"Maybe I am."

"It's because of us, isn't it? That you couldn't go with him."

"Don't worry about me. I'm just being silly. I'm sure he's fine."

Xiao Le smiled and said, "I'm sure he'll be happy to know that Sister cares so much about him."

Chu Qiao affected an obligatory smile but it hid the anxiety that was growing in her heart.

* * *

When Yuwen Yue opened his eyes, he saw the figure of General Qin lying beside him on the floor of an extraordinarily cold, dimly lit room. He called out to the general first but got no response. Then he tried to move and noticed the ropes around his ankles and arms.

"It's no use Yuwen Yue." A low voice spoke seeming coming from nowhere.

"General Song, I presume." The young master responded impassively.

"That's the problem with you, Yuwen Yue, you poke your nose into where it doesn't belong and find out things you shouldn't."

"Lu Han… is one of your people then." The young master deduced.

"His brother died at the battle at Hong Cuan city. Good man. At least he knows what's at stake."

"I suppose you were Lin Fushu's right hand man."

"I prefer the word 'partners'. We had a mutually beneficial arrangement that was working well but you had to be a busybody."

"Did your arrangement include raping and murdering girls?" was the young master's rejoinder.

"I couldn't be bothered about the girls, to be honest but that was one of Lin Fushu's eccentricities. It's the money that he supplied to me."

"A great general of Wei betraying his country and principles for money!"

"Betray my country? You can talk! I'll have you know that I took the money to get the equipment I needed for my men! I never spent a single cent on myself."

"You could have applied to…"

"You're the successor to a prominent family and friend of the prince so you haven't got a single clue about what it means to not have enough quality supplies for the troops. This fatuous king that we serve hasn't a clue about what is needed to defend a country. He worries about being betrayed by non-existent threats but he won't spend more to deal with real ones."

"So you took matters into your own hands."

"So I did. Because the court hasn't the faintest idea about how to run a real fighting force and what these men need to support their families."

"I'm sure your men will be thrilled to know that you collaborated with a rapist and a murderer so that you could supply them with the best equipment."

"You have no right to judge me, Yuwen Yue! You... collaborating with Yanbei spies."

"I have never collaborated with Yanbei spies."

"That woman of yours will be your undoing."

"Perhaps… but at least my conscience is clear. I have never betrayed my principles."

"Principles? Do you think you're the only one who has principles? I am a patriot. I care about this country and the people. But without the right training and equipment, we are left defenceless."

"What about the people in it? The women and children? How can you talk about defending the country when you turn a blind eye to the dangerous appetites of a degenerate man? Especially when he sexually exploits vulnerable young women? What kind of defence are you undertaking when innocent men and women from your country are sacrificed to your grievous patriotism?

"It's inevitable that in war that there's collateral damage!"

"Collateral damage? Is that what you call it? I thought we were fighting Yan Xun and Liang. I didn't realize that there's a civil war going on in this country too."

"You're too short-sighted, Yuwen Yue. You think that with your high and mighty ideals. You don't have what it takes to make the tough decisions. For that you will die soon. I've managed to acquire a jade snow dog and you will suffer slowly."

"I see… so that's how it's going to be."

* * *

When the Minister of Finance, Lin Zhiwei opened his eyes, he saw another pair of eyes glaring down at him looking especially murderous. Instinctively he tried to move but all his extremities seemed locked in place.

First, the voice declared the obvious. "You're awake," said the woman whose large, round eyes had "death" writ large in it. The red sword she was brandishing added to the homicidal atmosphere.

For the first time in his life, Lin Zhiwei was truly afraid for his life. When he told his associate General Song that any attempt to eliminate Yuwen Yue would be like unleashing hell… he had no idea how true his prognostications would be and that hell would come in the form of a woman. Death… he thought at that moment… would be preferable to whatever horrors the woman in front of him was about to inflict.

"I would like to flay you right now," The woman said grimly. "But my friend here says that you're the best lead that we have so I have to show some measure of restraint."

"You're going to kill me anyway, aren't you?"

"Killing you would be easy. But unhelpful."

"What do you want?"

"Where is Yuwen Yue?"

"I… I… don't know. I haven't seen him since the conference Prince Xiang convened to deal with the flood crisis. It's the truth, I swear."

"It's probably true, Xing'er." Yue Qi acknowledged.

"So who else can I ask?"

"I… I… can't say…" The finance minister responded fearfully. That woman with the red sword was sending chills up his spine.

"While I'm tempted to dismember you piece by piece, I don't think that will encourage you to talk. My friend here told me something very interesting and that you spend a lot of free time with your maids and one of them accidentally got killed because she wasn't satisfied with being a maid."

"How…"

"People gossip. A man like you can't afford to be careless but you have been. I wonder what your wife, or your father-in-law would say if they knew. Or the other ministers. I have a letter and a body to prove that you've been misbehaving badly. Failing that, castration is on the cards."

"You're Yuwen Yue's woman, aren't you? The one called Chu Qiao."

"Very pleased to meet you, Your Excellency. Now I'm going to be really generous and ask you nicely again… Who can I talk to if I want to know where Yuwen Yue is right now?"

* * *

 _Glossary:_

 _Yama – King of hell in East Asian and Buddhist mythology_

 _diyu – underworld, hell_

 _huo luan – cholera_

 _Author's Notes:_

 _Another fairly late update but life is busy. I was closeted in a workshop the entire weekend._

 _In my research for this story, I was interested to read that something similar to cholera did occur in the lifetimes of Buddha and Hippocrates so for the convenience of storytelling, I assumed that it would have reared its ugly head in China at some point. Sadly, every year 3-5 million people are infected with cholera and 100 - 120 000 die each year from it. Yet it is completely preventable._

 _I was pleasantly surprised by the reception of the previous chapter. I was grateful for everyone's interest and all the kind sentiments that I received. Thank you all for leaving comments behind._


	8. Love in the Days of Cholera 2

In-Laws and Outlaws: Love in the Days of Cholera 2

 _Disclaimer and caution: This chapter contains information that does not purport to provide an accurate understanding of traditional Chinese medicine. Nothing here should be used as any kind of medical advice. Historical liberties have been taken for storytelling purposes._

* * *

It had taken everything she had not to lash out. At a different time and a different place, she might have. Her lack of restraint and propensity to be reckless had landed her in tight situations many a time. But if there had been something that she had learnt from Yuwen Yue over time, it was to be circumspect because appearances were often deceptive. Luckily too, there was Yue Qi… dear reliable Yue Qi… to keep her in check.

In truth, she was lost without Yuwen Yue. She was wretchedly fearful of a future without him. He who always knew what to do, say or think. A giant among men. A noble among nobles. Someone whose giftedness meant that the world relied on his strength to make things right. Someone the world... and her... had so easily taken for granted.

Here he was now lying on his bed seemingly lifelessly while she was clutching onto his hand for dear life. Uncontrollable tears streamed down her cheeks. He had barely been breathing when they found him. His lips were as white as sheet, his skin bore a deathly pallor. Now with a physician in attendance, all of the anger she relied on to maintain the façade of strength transformed first into relief then collapsed into an unspeakable ache.

She brushed the strands of his hair to one side and kissed him lightly on the forehead. At least, she could console herself that they found him… that he was here, right next to her and there was a chance… a whisper of chance... a sliver perhaps… that all would be well in the end.

"Yuwen Yue, you must wake up." She implored through her sobs. "You must. Wherever you are right now, you must come back to me."

She picked up the wet towel from the basin and wrung it dry. Then she used it to mop the sweat off his face and neck. "See what happens when you go off alone without me!"

Yuwen Zhuo, who was barely holding back his own tears, shook his head plaintively. His greatest pride… the successor he raised from childhood… normally so full of vitality, was lying so still and unconscious. Despite being caught up in his own sorrow, a part of him was gratified to witness the woman his grandson loved, genuinely distraught over his condition. Perhaps old age had set in but Yuwen Zhuo accepted that in the final analysis, it may be all that mattered.

The elder Yuwen spoke up with uncharacteristic gentleness. "Xing'er, you should go to your room and rest. You'll wear yourself out."

She shook her head and rambled through her tears, "I want to be here when he wakes up."

"He'll wake up. The physician says that the antidote has taken effect and it's only a matter of time."

"But it's taking so long."

"The effects of the jade snow dog did take its toll on him so it's hard to know when his condition will improve. It won't be overnight. "

"I need to be here… I need him to know… Please don't ask me to leave."

"I understand."

The older man motioned for the ever-patient Zhan Mo to wheel him out. He took one last look at the anxious woman and then allowed himself to be escorted out of the bedroom.

Left alone with him in the room, all her worst fears coalesced and found their voice.

"Yuwen Yue… why aren't you waking up? There are so many things I want to say to you that I haven't said to you."

"Why do things have to be so hard for us? Why do we keep missing each other? It's me, isn't it? Deep down I keep thinking of a thousand reasons why we shouldn't be together. All these voices out there and in here keep echoing this. But no more."

To prove it, she brought the back of his hands to her lips.

"When you wake up, let's not wait anymore, alright? I want to be with you… to be your woman and your wife. To have that family you keep talking about." She smiled wistfully

"No more hesitation from me."

She took out the silver bells, the ones he made for her all those years ago, from her sleeve and placed them in the palm of his other hand and closed his fingers over them. "Hold on to the bells… for good luck… alright?"

Her eyes trailed the length and breadth of his slender frame as more tears cascaded down her cheeks.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm here next to you… where I belong… where I've always belonged."

Xing'er stretched herself next to him still grasping his hand tightly. With the flickering candle as her only comfort, she soon fell fast asleep.

The first thing she saw when she woke up was his eyes were boring into hers with an intensity that unnerved her.

"Xing'er… Why are you here?" He whispered hoarsely. The uneven breathing that underscored his speech was disconcerting.

"Where else should I be if not here?" She reached out to touch his pale skin only to have him push her hand away as forcefully as he could under the circumstances.

"That place where they dumped me… was full of sick people dying…"

"I know. Yue Qi and I found you." _The handkerchief... my handkerchief... led us to you._

"Then you should know that it's not safe for you to be this close to me."

"The physician doesn't think you caught it."

"You can't be sure. I should be isolated for a week at least."

"Yuwen Yue, stop it!" She cried. "You're awake and alive! I thought… I'd lost you."

"Xing'er," Yuwen Yue muttered weakly wanting so much to embrace her, "You shouldn't be here. You could get sick too."

"I don't care." She sniffed and quickly wiped away the tears that were forming.

"You are such a stubborn idiot sometimes." He coughed a dry cough. "Why don't you do what you're told?"

"I'll get you some water." She jumped out of the bed and went to fetch the teapot and a cup.

His eyes trailed her brisk movements around the room. Even in his weakened state he found a great deal of pleasure in watching her work.

She poured water into the teacup and went over to where he was lying. Then she slowly lifted him up from his pillow, put the cup to his mouth and encouraged him to take sips from it.

When he had enough, he nodded so she took the cup away. Even the littlest thing seemed to be an effort for him.

"Xing'er, I am serious. You being here, you're gambling with your life."

"It's my life to gamble with." She insisted.

He shook his head. "There are many people relying on you now."

"I'm prioritizing now. You need me and I need to be here with you. Bad things seem to happen when you're out of my sight."

"You've picked a ridiculous time to be romantic."

"What to do? Someone once told me that I'm not like other girls." She said haughtily. "My timing has always been bad but I'm learning from my mistakes."

Yuwen Yue sighed. He let the comment pass, as he really didn't have the energy to argue with her. Deep down he was pleased with the gesture even while he was berating her. It was a far cry from the old days when he did all of the chasing. At that moment too he had more pressing matters at hand. His body was not recovering as quickly as he'd like even with all the medical care he was receiving. Shivering, he pulled the blanket over his shoulder.

"Why is it so cold in here?"

"It's the after effects of prolonged exposure to the jade snow dog. The physician said that your _qi_ has taken a very bad hit which means your old problem has resurfaced."

"Then I'm a fortunate man that you found me."

"We almost didn't."

* * *

Two days earlier before she found Yuwen Yue lying unconscious in the mud and the filth of the refugee camp, there were people that Chu Qiao was itching to torture, interrogate and flay. In that order. Lin Zhiwei being one of them and General Song, the other. But she had promised to tread carefully in light of the kind of political fallout her customary recklessness had led to in the past. Moreover, it was obvious that General Song, a career military man, would not easily be swayed by threats.

"General Song, I'll come straight to the point. We know that you took Yuwen Yue. Where is he?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Miss Chu."

"It's useless to deny it. Your name is on Lin Fushu's ledger and your associate has already revealed everything to us."

Chu Qiao knew from reputation that General Song would be a tough nut to crack and that the man would be recalcitrant to the last. The general had a lot to lose not just in financial terms but more importantly his honour was at stake. She surmised correctly that a man of his temperament would have little concern with money except as a means to a larger end.

Right away he was on the offensive and went straight for the jugular.

"There's no reason for you and I to have any kind of prolonged conversation. You are a woman with a dubious reputation and you were a known associate of Yan Xun. You may even have slept in his bed for all I care. Even if you're a friend of Prince Yu and Prince Xiang, it's a waste of my time having to deal with someone like you."

Chu Qiao recoiled from the insult and was on the cusp of retaliating verbally. But having caught the look that Yue Qi had shot in her direction, she stopped herself. Instead she took a deep breath and changed tact.

"General Song, among your troops you have a reputation for being an honourable man. Your men are loyal to you for good reason. I, on the other hand am an insignificant person who doesn't matter. My primary concern is to save the life of a man, a man who has given most of his life in service of this country… his country. He went missing while on an investigation for His Highness. He was merely following orders and doing his job. Surely you can understand that?"

The general dug his heels in. "I know nothing about this matter."

"General Song, the bodies of 10 women were found while we were evacuating villagers from the flood. They showed signs of being violated before they were murdered. We found two more girls alive, 15 and 17 who were repeatedly violated during the past year. Who knows how many other women were taken from their villages over the past few years and ended up dead when they outlived their usefulness? We know that the merchant Lin Fushu was responsible for this and that you were an associate of his. He supplied you with money, which you used to purchase weaponry and training materials for your troops. In exchange you helped him transport contraband into various locations. All of this we know and suspect because your name features in Lin Fushu's ledger. You may or may not have known about the girls but I'm sure you had your suspicions at some point."

"You can't prove any of it."

"To be honest, we don't have to. Once word gets out that you were doing business with a rapist, your career is over."

"Are you threatening me?"

"I'm tempted to do more than threaten you. It will be a long time before those two girls sleep easy again. When I think about the women's whose bodies I saw…" The words died on her lips as she reeled from the recollection.

A short while later she recovered and found her voice. "But right now my priority is to save the life of a man I care about. Your career… doesn't mean anything to me. But when you moved against Yuwen Yue, you made it personal and I will hold you personally responsible if Yuwen Yue dies. You may ignore me or even try to kill me. Fine. You might not think much of me but this isn't about me. This isn't about you either.

"The truth is, you can't keep what you've done hidden forever. Sooner or later word will get out. How many people are you going to kill to keep your guilty secret?"

Chu Qiao's words rang out through the room and afterwards there was only silence. She had said what needed to be said. It was up to the general to make his move.

Commander Ling, General Song's second-in-command who had overheard the conversation, stepped in.

"Miss Chu, can I speak with the general in private? I promise that we will give you a response after this."

Chu Qiao and Yue Qi nodded. They both walked out of the room and closed the door behind them.

Commander Ling turned to the general and spoke in a low tone.

"It's true isn't it? What this woman said."

"You'd believe a rebel over me?" The general said quietly, avoiding eye contact with his second.

"General, I don't know this woman very well but while she may be considered a rebel in some quarters, she is known for her bravery and honour on the battlefield. She went against Yan Xun twice, saved Hong Chuan city and Yuwen Yue's life during an ambush. This is not someone who throws accusations around needlessly. She came directly to you to get to the bottom of the matter."

The general deigned to look up and faced his commander. "Yiquan, I've only ever done things for the good of the men."

"I'm sure you did which is why we're even having this conversation. I know you well enough to believe that, sir. I've served under you for 10 years now."

"What do you want from me?"

"Tell them where Yuwen Yue is. You don't need another death on your head. It is not like you to put your own interests ahead of others. Yuwen Yue is a good man and a patriot. Without him we couldn't have taken back Meilin Pass. We need men like him to fight the war against Yan Xun."

* * *

Commander Ling came out of the room alone and he turned to the visitors.

"Can you promise me that you won't make a move against the general? For now?"

Chu Qiao was about to speak when Yue Qi interrupted. "We aren't interested in the general. We only want the young master back safe and sound. Right, Xing'er?"

"Can I rely on you to keep your word?" The commander pushed further.

Yue Qi nodded and nudged Chu Qiao. She nodded and noised her assent reluctantly.

"He's been taken somewhere in the refugee camp. Hiding a leaf in a forest. That's all I can tell you."

"You're a good man, Commander Ling. Thank you."

"No need to thank me. I'm only trying to save a man from completely destroying himself."

* * *

"I'm glad you didn't try to kill him."

"Well, if you had been dead when I got to you. I would have."

"Xing'er, if I were to die I'd want you to live… not commit suicide."

Chu Qiao did not respond for fear of betraying her innermost thoughts. Clearly Yuwen Yue had made the remark partly in jest but it hit a nerve. She wasn't sure how to respond. She didn't want him to die and she wasn't sure what sort of life she'd have without him. Silence, she thought, was preferable to saying what was on her mind. The last thing she wanted to do was put more pressure on him and impede his recovery.

The shift in mood, however, did not go unnoticed

"What's wrong?" His eyes probed hers.

"Nothing." Chu Qiao deliberately avoided his gaze.

"You're very quiet." He insisted.

"All this talk about killing and dying is very unlucky." She replied evasively.

"Since when did you…" Sensing that something was troubling her, he stopped in his tracks before reassuring her. "I'm going to be fine."

"Of course you are, because I'm taking care of you."

"Don't wear yourself out doing it because then I'll have to take care of you."

"Yuwen Yue, you make it sound like I'm such a chore."

"Chore? No. Handful? Yes."

"Look who's talking."

Despite the seeming war of words, inwardly she was relieved. He seemed stronger even while struggling to speak. Yuwen Yue had not lost his acuity although there was the matter of his uneven breathing that was keeping her on the edge. Still he was awake and sufficiently lucid to indulge in their usual banter.

"Why did you give me the bells?" He asked suddenly.

Chu Qiao had momentarily forgotten about them.

"For good luck."

"I don't need luck. Besides, didn't you say that it was yours?"

"I'm only lending it to you. I'll take it back once you recover."

"I'm fine, Xing'er. Really. It's just the cold."

"Just hold on to them." She barked with exasperation.

Yuwen Yue looked at her and nodded meekly. Her austere exterior belied a set of eyes racked with anxiety.

"Your medicine should be ready soon. Xiao Le's been decocting it. Be good and take it."

"It's that bad, eh?"

"Just take it… like a good little boy."

* * *

Two days and several bowls of interior warming medical remedies later, Yuwen Yue continued to keep to his bed and his room in a weakened state. He was pale and perspired regularly despite complaining of the cold even with Chu Qiao applying the transfer of _qi_ regularly. The only good news to emerge out of this was that no symptoms of _huo luan_ were detected as yet.

The physician was duly summoned once again and did his examination. In his considered opinion, the young master's meridians had to be blocked which was having an adverse impact on the flow of his _qi_. He wrote another script and turned to the woman who was looking on with grave concern.

"Miss Chu, may we have a word?"

Chu Qiao nodded, fearing the worst.

After walking out of the room and some distance away out of the patient's hearing, the physician spoke up.

"There is so much about the human body that we don't know. It's a lot of trial and error, I'm afraid. But some of the older medical texts have described conditions similar to what Young Master Yue is experiencing. It could be a case of _qi_ vacuity but that's unlikely, as you've been applying transference. It could be an imbalance of _yin_ and _yang_ in his body, or simply the fact that his _qi_ is not circulating as it should and is having an adverse effect on his blood flow."

"Is there something else we can do if the herbal remedies aren't working?"

"There is one other thing. It could impact negatively on the patient's _jing_ levels in his weakened state but we will try and boost them through the consumption of herbs and specific foods beforehand. However, the main thing about what I'm going to propose is that it will be an imposition on you, Miss Chu."

"Just tell me what I need to do. Whatever it takes for him to get well again."

* * *

"You look so beautiful, Sister Xing'er." Xiao Le was sitting behind Chu Qiao and brushing down her long black hair hair. "As beautiful as a bride. I hope I look as beautiful when I get older."

"You already are, Xiao Le. Someday you'll make some fortunate man very happy."

Chu Qiao smiled and studied herself in the mirror. How long has it been since she even thought about preening herself. Rouge, powder, lipstick… those things were never part of her arsenal in those last few years. It had been an extravagance she couldn't afford to indulge in except on those occasions he would unexpectedly intrude into her life.

And then the luxury of a nice warm bath filled with rose petals and lavender. The feel the water and the fragrances soaking into her skin. Chu Qiao had no memory of the last time she was pampered in such fashion.

"No man will be able to resist you, my dear," said the proprietress of Huan Yu Pavilion approvingly.

"Thank you for all your help this past week, Miss Mei Fang. For instructing me and for coming here."

"It's the least I could do for both of you."

Chu Qiao looked at the older woman gratefully. "We owe you so much."

"I'm just glad that you were able to save the lives of these two girls."

The women helped her put up her hair and do it up in a fashionable knot. They finished it off with a simple pearl hairpin.

"You look lovely, Xing'er." The grandfather of the house was strolling towards her with his manservant. "I took the liberty... You left the door opened."

Immediately Xiao Le, Shui Zhu and Mei Fang got up and bowed respectfully on the arrival of the elderly master of the mansion. They promptly made their way to the door discreetly.

Chu Qiao was about to get up when the Elder Yuwen stopped her. "I have something for you."

He handed her an item wrapped in a red silk handkerchief.

"It's a family heirloom." He said briefly. "It has been passed down from one generation of Yuwen women to the next. It's now yours to keep."

Xing'er unwrapped the gift to find a bamboo carved jade bangle with specks of gold leafing.

"It's wonderful. I don't know what to say." Tears were trickling down her made up face.

"Just take good care of Yue'er."

"I will do my best, sir."

"No need for all these formalities. We are family now."

"Yes, sir… Grandfather."

"I'm only sorry that we've had to impose on you like this without going through the rites."

Chu Qiao shook her head. "It's fine. As long as we can be together, it doesn't matter."

"I… misunderstood you…" Grandfather broke off, his voice rich with emotion.

Chu Qiao took hold of the man's hands. "It's all the in past now, Grandfather."

* * *

She opened the door to his bedroom with the moonlight behind her. A whole gamut of emotions had accompanied her on the way. While she was getting ready, she had been a bundle of nerves but like the actor who was walking on stage for a performance, her nervousness had transformed into a blissful serenity. Her fears had dissipated and she was going to the man she loved.

"Xing'er, is that you?" Yuwen Yue's voice was weak but audible across the room. The creak of the opening and closing of the door had alerted him.

"Yes…"

"It's getting late. Shouldn't you be turning in for the night?"

"I will be… very soon. As soon as I check on you."

As she strode towards him, she watched his sluggish frame struggle to find a comfortable position. It strengthened her resolve all the more.

He in turn watched her petite figure saunter towards him… a vision all dressed in white. It took his breath away.

"I don't need tea." He managed to say.

"I'm not here to serve tea."

Standing under the light of the solitary candle, she slipped off her outer robe, her sash, tunic and skirt until all that remained was the _xieyi_. She took off her ring, her new jade bangle and placed them on the table beside her.

She took her place beside him on the bed and slipped under the covers next to him as she began to undo his tunic.

"Xing'er… what are you…"

Before he could say another word, she brushed her lips over his. She edged closer and he could feel her soft warm skin pressing on his bare skin. The call of her lips was too hard to resist and he soon fell under its spell. A wave of desire swept through him and gave him a new boost of strength that had lain dormant. Having had a taste, his lips craved for more and soon they moved in tandem with hers. As she slipped his tunic off he felt the cool air stirring around him. He shuddered as the cold landed on his skin. The spell was momentarily broken and he remembered the question.

"What are you doing?" He demanded, pushing her away with some reluctance.

"It's your treatment."

"I can't let you do this. It's too dangerous."

"It's my choice."

Adamant about staying the course, she knocked him down onto his back and fell on top him. Their eyes locked instantly. Hers bore down on his with an unbearable intensity. Yuwen Yue knew he could never resist the fire in her eyes burning like the stars on a moonless night.

His eyes responded with equal longing, "The last time we were in this position, we broke a lot of things."

"This time there's no need to break anything. We both want the same thing now."

Their lips touched lightly, hesitantly. They touched again. The next time they came together, she didn't hesitate and let him feel the full force of where her lips were willing to go.

When she came up for air, he made a feeble protest, "Xing'er… this is madness… this is not the time."

"What to do… we are fated to have such terrible timing."

Trapped by a willing woman, his own desire to accommodate her and the impeccable reasoning presented to him, Yuwen Yue succumbed without further protest. With one hand, Yuwen Yue removed the pearl hairpin and with the other, he reached round the back of her _xieyi_ and began loosening the knot.

* * *

It was a beautiful morning, the sun was shining and the parrot had sensibly been bundled off to another part of the house the previous evening. Yuwen Yue woke up first and rolled over to where she was lying. He grunted contentedly as he reached down and kissed her hair ever so lightly. It was the best night sleep he he'd had since he embarked on the embezzlement investigation. For the first time since his near-death experience he was joyously glad to be bedridden. Recalling a conversation he had the night before, he cast his eye around the room relieved that their nighttime antics had stayed largely within the confines of the bed. Not a single piece of furniture was broken. Yuwen Yue, was, to all intents and purposes, a ridiculously happy man. Sure he had been dragged into a bedtime dance initially against his will but it didn't take long before his body moved willingly in synchronized fashion with hers. But the physical confirmation that he was her first and only bed dance partner sent him into ecstatic heights he never knew existed.

The woman in his bed was stirring and coming out of whatever pleasant dreams he hoped had followed her into slumber. She stuck her head up above the layers of bedding and looked around.

"Yuwen Yue, are you alright?" She examined his face, touched his forehead, and lifted his arms like a physician. "Did it work? Are you better?"

Yuwen Yue didn't know whether to be annoyed or whether to pin her down and kiss her madly. The bubble of the happy mood he was in burst in an instant.

"I am fine." He said in a monotone.

"You don't sound it." She eyed him quizzically. "Maybe we should get Yue Qi to call the physician."

She was about to get up when he pulled her back down onto the bed with renewed force. Reluctantly, he fought off the overwhelming urge to kiss her and replay the previous night's activities.

"Where do you think you're going?" He demanded.

"To get the physician…" Her eyes were straining toward the door.

"Forget the physician. What about me? Are you going to take responsibility for what you did last night?"

"Take responsibility? What do you mean?"

"You'll have to marry me now."

"Oh that… it's fine."

Yuwen Yue, intelligent man though he was, was puzzled by how things were unfolding.

"What do you mean, 'it's fine'?"

She showed him the jade bangle.

"Mother's bangle!" He gasped.

"It's mine now. Your grandfather gave it to me."

"He did?"

Chu Qiao nodded enthusiastically.

"He's accepted you?"

She nodded again. "So officially I'm your woman now."

"That may be but we're still getting married.

* * *

 _Glossary:_

 _huo luan – cholera_

 _qi – vital energy_

 _jing – essence believed to be stored in the kidney_

 _xieyi – female undergarment; the ancient equivalent of a brassiere._

 _Author's Notes:_

 _I ummed and ahed about doing that last part before the wedding night but eventually I found a way of justifying its inclusion here. Years of watching_ wuxia _dramas certainly have their benefits in that regard. I ended up spending a whole morning reading about traditional Chinese medicine and Taoist views of male-female intimacy. I did appropriate some of it for storytelling purposes but reverted to my knowledge of TV martial arts medicine in the end. As a whole I don't find writing such scenes easy and to be honest, I find most written depictions of bedroom scenes rather formulaic which is one of the many reasons why I struggle with them._

 _I think it was seibelle who mentioned the bells and so I found a way of inserting them into the story as they were important in TV canon._

 _Rest assured that we'll get to the wedding night eventually but it probably won't end up being what people expect._

 _My heartfelt thanks remains especially for those who take the time to comment after each chapter. My enjoyment from reading these comments comes from understanding what it is that you each take away from every chapter._

 _Sey KompungCham: Yuwen Yue has been known to fall into traps before in TV canon. The icy lake scene was a trap and I think there was a time he was poisoned after facing off Liang spies and Xiao Yu._


	9. Leveraging the Ledger 1

In-Laws and Outlaw: Leveraging the Ledger 1

* * *

"Ladies and gentleman, the goal of the mission is quite simple: We are going to take back a very large amount of money."

All eyes were on Yuwen Yue and everyone in the room was hanging on to his every word with hushed anticipation. The woman, who only days before had been anxiously holding a constant vigil beside his bed, was standing some distance away, marveling that he'd emerged out of his recent misadventures relatively unscathed. She rejoiced that he was alive. But more than that he was coming truly alive playing the role of master and commander. This was his stage and his audience, his battalion.

"But it's for a good cause." The young master continued with quiet confidence. "What we can't take we will find other ways and means to procure."

There were snickers and chortles all around the secret chamber. The large collection of undesirables, as Yuwen Zhuo once called them, scattered themselves around what was once the archives and armory of the Eyes of God. They were a motley crew of men and even a handful of women, hailing from various parts of the Central Plains now rallying around the young master of Qing Shan Yuan on the auspicious occasion of what could be construed as the reviving or reshaping of the Eyes of God. Former soldiers, rebels, assassins, courtesans, orphans formed a mixed brigade of unexpected foot soldiers with diverse life experiences and specific skill sets whose paths have intersected at some point with Yuwen Yue's journey. The young master of Qing Shan Yuan had a knack of picking up strays in his travels but there's was no denying the transformational influence of the woman who had resolutely planted herself by his side. It was a journey he would never have traversed if she hadn't intruded into his existence. Her audacity touched him like no other and her anguish crept under his skin. The world changed for him and would never see it the same way again. Together they had garnered a force, a force that would gladly lay down their lives for the leader they chose to follow. At a glance the congregants seemed to be an unpromising lot but their willingness to heed the young master's call was the only requisite as he briefed them on the mission at hand.

"Ultimately this isn't about the money but a means to an end. The recent flooding undoubtedly began as a natural disaster but it has escalated into a human tragedy when much of it could have been avoided with the proper preparations underpinned by ample funding. This is something we are in a position to rectify although sadly it will be too late for those who have died in this crisis. If any of you have qualms about this, feel free to leave the room now. I trust we can count on your secrecy."

Amidst the various head gestures and murmurs of approval around the room there was no sign of a contrary response from those present.

"Heaven only knows how many laws we've broken already, one more won't make any difference." One of the Xiuli men, Luo Su, shouted from the back of the room and was rewarded with uproarious laughter from his comrades.

"So, you're all in?"

"Do you really have to ask, Young Master?" He Xiao replied with a grin. "Even if we didn't owe you our lives, this sounds like it could be quite the romp. And an opportunity to do some real good."

"Young Master Yue, you said that this money would be channelled back to helping the refugees and flood victims in the neighbouring villages?" Luo Su quizzed.

Yuwen Yue nodded slowly.

"Then count us in." The Xiuli soldier pointed to himself and the man next to him.

"I heard from the market farmers that the refugee camp in the southern district has a shortage of food and medical supplies. It's turned into a breeding ground for disease because no help is going in." said another Xiuli soldier.

"I heard that whole families are starving," an Eyes of God operative interjected amidst the remonstrance from the group.

"The money that was meant for infrastructure projects and for the distribution of disaster relief was embezzled by the Minister of Finance under duress and then funelled by Lin Fushu and his cronies into their own coffers or pet projects. The plan is to get it all back somehow. Every single piece of silver. The ledger that was found in Lin Fushu's mansion has provided us with names and many useful leads. We now know who was involved in this conspiracy with Lin Fushu. We also know how he made his money as well as how he distributed the funds that he secured through illegal means. To most of the world he was a successful merchant and trader. His primary revenue stream came from selling silk and women's apparel. To that end he owned a sericulture facility in Chang'an, which is still functioning under a trusted manager-successor and I believe that there are hidden assets somewhere in that facility. The abandoned warehouse, in which we found the two girls, Xiao Le and Shui Zhu, we hope, may yield other secrets. In order for the State to confiscate all of Lin Fushu's properties and compensate the victims of his crimes, we will need to gather evidence of his vile dealings particularly with the key people in his organization.

"Thanks to a reliable source, we also know that Lin Fushu had dealings with foreign traders not only from Persia but Arabia, Syria and Greece as well. With them Lin Fushu received quantities of exquisite art pieces, fragrances, lapis lazuli and spinel. Our source also believed that Lin Fushu might have been smuggling jade items belonging to the royal family out of the country with the aid of the Wei clan and through his numerous foreign contacts.

"Lin Fushu had a talent for choosing his co-conspirators and finding out people's darkest secrets perhaps through his network of spies which he installed in various households. He has been able to use this effectively to extort the right people in the right places. Of course Lin Fushu didn't accomplish all of this alone. He was ably assisted by his manager who was to all intents and purposes, his second-in-command. He was also helped by the people he extorted or by providing services to a whole range of politically prominent individuals.

"The manager and house steward, Lin Ke was someone he brought with him from his Liang days. He was personally groomed by Lin Fushu and adopted from a young age to be his successor. He's intensely loyal so it's doubtful that the usual interrogation techniques will work with him. I have sent someone to infiltrate his sericulture facility because that building must contain some information about how Lin Fushu ran his businesses.

"Yue Qi's investigation into the Minister of Finance, his underlings and various ministers have shown that Lin Fushu was able to fleece large amounts of money over that period of time through them. He discovered that Lin Zhiwei not only had a penchant for pretty household maids and seduced them with alarming frequency but had inadvertently killed one when she fell pregnant and threatened to expose him to his wife's family, the powerful Shi clan. Previously other maids who fell pregnant were forced to imbibe abortifacients to keep his guilty secret. A number of bribes were handed out to lower level officers in the treasury department in exchange for their silence and cooperation while the books were being doctored."

"Is it true that the Chang'an garrison under General Song has been helping Lin Fushu smuggle in girls, gold and weapons?"

Yuwen Yue paused and then hesitated before saying, "Yes, that's generally correct. Unfortunately."

"That's appalling! Is there no one trustworthy in this place?" exclaimed one of the Xiulin men.

The comment was followed by a dissonant chorus of opinions mumuring outrage and discontent.

Yuwen Yue raised his hand and motioned for everyone to quieten down.

"As some of you have already heard, General Song who commanded the main garrison for this city and was responsible for distributing supplies was a significant player in this organization too. In exchange for allowing certain items through unchecked, he was provided with funds to boost his military supplies."

A number of the Xiuli men shook their heads dejectedly. "Who would have thought? He's reputed to be such a strict disciplinarian and an honourable soldier, feared and respected by his men." He Xiao observed.

Yuwen Yue nodded. "On some level he is. But this is where Lin Fushu excelled. He was able to find the general's weak spot. As the saying goes, 'Every man has his price.' Whether or not he knew with any certainty about the girls, that's between him and his conscience. But he was undoubtedly compromised no matter his self-justification. Once Lin Fushu had him in his grasp, he had him for life. General Song wasn't wrong about one thing though. Our military is ill equipped and ironically the embezzlement could turn out to be one of the causes."

Silence reigned as the young master's words swept across the room and sank in slowly. They were all survivors in a brutal world… once perpetrators of bloodshed… wanderers who had tasted sorrow. Such thoughts resonated deeply with their wounds.

"There's no denying that corruption is rife and it's the commoners who bear the brunt of the consequences. The flood crisis has exemplified all too clearly what happens when rulers and officials lack moral integrity. It's an epidemic worse than what's going on in the refugee camp.

"You should know that I'm not doing this for Prince Xiang even while he has been wonderfully supportive. At the end of the day this is for the people of Wei… the commoners who have no voice. For some of you who are not natives of Wei, you may not think this is your fight and I understand. I would not blame you if you…"

Meng Feng who was once an orphan from the Afterlife Camp, spoke up, "Young Master, when we chose to follow you, we left our past behind. Now we are ready and willing to do what you say."

Yuwen Yue nodded appreciatively and continued.

"One of our aims is to cut off the supply chain ie. funding, especially to the low level operatives and operatives in the regional and border areas that acted as broker or spies. The intention is to root them out and put this operation completely out of business. Lin Fushu's wealth is the key to everything."

* * *

Chu Qiao sensed that something was wrong. She had sensed it since that fateful morning when he declared that she had to "take responsibility". Despite his quick recovery and shortened convalescence afterwards, Xing'er knew that something had changed between them. As the Young Master of Qing Shan Yuan and Eyes of God, he was business-as-usual. He gave his briefing, outlined his plan, divided everyone into teams, handed them their tasks... all of it with characteristic efficiency. Mentally he was firing on full capacity. It was as if he had never been kidnapped or dangerously ill.

But she knew something was afoot in that mind of his.

He was preparing to head off to the palace to enjoy a game of _wei qi_ with Prince Xiang and made no mention at all of bringing her along. Strangely enough the icy aloofness returned but it had a different feel to it. It was more calculated and intense.

"What about me?" She demanded. "You're thinking of leaving me behind again, aren't you?"

"Actually I am," was the curt retort. "You have a lot to occupy your time with these days."

"What if something happens to you _again_?" She emphasized "again".

"Xing'er, nothing will happen to me this time. That's the whole point. I will be sitting at the palace the entire time drinking tea and playing _wei qi_ with His Highness. There will be guards and attendants positioned all around the palace and I will enjoy the best protection that a man in this country can afford."

"How can you say that? Especially when I'm not there," she insisted.

"It will be fine," the young master retorted impatiently. "I will be fine."

Xing'er narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Yuwen Yue, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong." He turned away deliberately to avoid her scrutinizing gaze.

"Something is wrong." She remarked. "You've been avoiding me."

"I haven't been avoiding you. We're talking, aren't we?"

"You're hiding something from me, right?" She asked nervously. "Are you still unwell but you're pretending to be fine?"

The young master sighed. "I have recovered completely."

"Then what is it?"

A thought suddenly occurred to Xing'er. "It's the other night! When we went to bed together."

The young master stiffened at the mention of those words but held his peace.

"So it is." The lady saw the change in his expression and muttered. "I had my suspicions…"

In a dull expressionless voice the young master remarked, "Together? I distinctly remember that it was you who climbed into my bed and started undressing me… among other things."

"It was a necessary part of the treatment!" Xing'er protested.

"I think I understood that the first time." The young master replied dryly.

Then another thought struck the lady. She wondered why she hadn't considered the possibility before.

"It's because I did something wrong, isn't it?"

"No, Xing'er, you didn't do anything wrong."

"Then, why are you angry with me?"

"That's not it. I'm not… angry." That was a marked hesitation in that last piece of utterance.

 _Playing_ wei qi _with the prince will be easier than having to deal with this persistent woman._

"Yes, you are." She noted perceptively and then lowered her voice to add, "I must have failed to please you and you're disappointed."

"It's nothing like that. You're over thinking things," was the quick rejoinder.

"Maybe. But something's wrong, I can tell. I demand you tell me what it is."

"Good Heavens, Xing'er, we're not really having this conversation now, are we?" exclaimed Yuwen Yue who was becoming testy. "I need to leave now."

"So does that mean we will have this conversation in the future?"

The young master realized that he had placed himself in an untenable quandary but relented knowing that she'd be hounding him about it in days to come. "Alright, we will have this conversation once we've completed this mission."

"Does that mean I can come along with you?"

"No, it doesn't. It means we will talk later. Right now, you need to stay here and protect the girls. When the time comes, you need to let Xiao Chou go and carry out my instructions."

"But Yuwen Yue…"

"Stay here. I will be fine."

As he moved off, she quickly hugged him from behind. "You have to be well. Always. I couldn't bear it if you weren't."

Despite the emotional push and pull he was wrestling with inwardly, a smile flitted across his face.

* * *

Lin Ke was too busy trying to put out the fire to give much thought to how it started in the first place. The entire sericulture facility was in chaos. He was barking orders while everyone shouting and frantically running around either trying to collect the worm trays, the twig frames and looms or put out the fire that started in the weighing room and had spread to the preparation room. The southwesterly wind that was blowing was proving to be a hindrance. Despite the imminent dangers posed by the spreading flame devouring through the facility, Lin Ke didn't not join in the frenzy. He stood outside the old office for a while staring nervously at the calligraphy scroll that hung there. He seemed to be at a loss… in some kind of dilemma and somehow that piece of calligraphy was at the heart of it. He took two steps forward and then hesitated. This aroused the curiosity of the new weaver that started work the previous day, who had been searching for the manager in order to report that a number of looms had been saved. But Lin Ke didn't seem to be listening. His eyes were fixated on the calligraphy scroll.

"Master Lin, Master Lin… is everything alright?"

"Eh… yes… What do you want?"

"I just wanted to inform you that we've managed to get half the looms out of the weaving room but I'm not sure whether we can save them all at the rate the fire is going."

"Ah, I see. Alright." Lin Ke seemed disinterested, paying little attention to what was said.

The new weaver noticed that the manager's thoughts were elsewhere. "You seem troubled, sir. Do you want this office cleared out too?"

"Yes, er… no… I'm not sure. The master left behind some personal effects that have sentimental value and I'm wondering if I should clear out the room, just in case."

"Would you like some help with that?"

"Well, er… it's fine…"

"It's no trouble at all. Let me know if you need my assistance," said the new employee, "It looks like the previous owner left quite a lot of things behind."

* * *

Yuwen Yue was sipping tea made personally by Prince Xiang and keeping a sharp eye on the board as his opponent placed another black stone in an attempt to protect his territory while making moves to cut through his.

"Playing a rather aggressive game, today, Yuwen Yue," Prince Xiang remarked with a knowing grin. "Usually you take your time with the opening but today you've gone all out on the fourth line quickly and furiously."

"No sense in holding back if it means I can confuse the enemy."

"Are you casting a net and hauling in the fish already?"

"Perhaps… perhaps not. I can't give away my game this soon. Besides, as the _Classic of Weiqi_ says, 'At the beginning of the game, the pieces are moved in a regular and orthodox way, but creativity is needed to win the game.'"

* * *

When Lin Ke regained consciousness, he found himself with a raging headache, lying on the floor of Lin Fushu's old office, his head halfway under the desk. He couldn't recall why he blacked out and wondered whether it was the smoke that had been his undoing. The last thing he vaguely remembered doing was reaching for the mounted calligraphy scroll and then falling to the floor. With that recollection he panicked immediately and quickly swung his head upwards. To his great relief, he observed that the scroll was still hanging in its place. Remembering that he had been in the middle of managing a fire emergency, he ran out to check on its progress and noted with some satisfaction that the fire was under control. Much of it had been extinguished by the workers who were drenched in soot and water. The fire and water damage in the preparation room was considerable. Surveying the damage, Lin Ke felt a weariness creeping into his shoulders as he was quite certain that a fair number of gold bars would be needed for repairs and it would be a while before the business would hum along as it once did.

It was times like these that Lin Ke missed Master Lin who had been very strict with him. He would have known precisely what to do. No doubt the owner was a man with insatiable debauched appetites but there was no denying that the former owner had an uncanny insight for business opportunities as well as the egotism to pull it off. The owner had been a brilliant man dealing in secrets. Now that he was dead, there would be many lining up to lay their hands on those documents in his secret vault.

* * *

Huan Yu Pavilion was buzzing with activity. The young master of the Wang clan, Wang Ming had arrived with much pomp and ceremony, surrounded by bodyguards and a bevy of women who were eager to gain his favour by providing him with the evening's entertainment. But he had come to see the lady of the house, which he heard had recovered from a strange bout of illness and was inviting old friends and acquaintances to make merry with her. Young Master Ming liked to think of himself a musician and played the _gu qin_ with a decent level of skill. He had eagerly come to show off his latest composition which he'd commissioned for the instrument to discuss its relative merits with Miss Mei Fang.

Mei Fang seemed pleased to see the young man. Although he was reputedly over-indulged on the domestic front, he did genuinely have some talent for music. As was his habit, he brought his own instrument, which by all accounts was a wonderful work of art by a famous reclusive luthier who lived in the mountains that buffered Wei and Liang. It had a rich, mellow tone, which complemented Mei Fang's instrument very well. The young man was impatient to get started on the melody so he jumped onto his instrument as soon as his men took it out of its case. Mei Fang was called upon to accompany him and when it was over, she offered compliments and pointers, suggesting that he add an extra bar at the end for dramatic effect. It was an idea that he embraced enthusiastically. Now he was ready to take his tea and snacks, which he devoured enthusiastically. While he did so, Miss Mei Fang started playing an old favourite, "The Willow Tree Weeps for My Love".

Not long afterwards, Young Master Ming gave a loud yawn and wondered why it was that he was so sleepy. He wondered momentarily if the polo game he was a part of earlier in the day had worn him out. He yawned again and found it hard to keep his eyes open. Before he could make sense of what was happening, he slumped onto the table and knocked over a few pieces of empty crockery onto the floor as the music reached the peak of a crescendo.

Miss Mei Fang continued playing while two masked men hiding in the room emerged. They removed the young master's jade piece from his robe, and afterwards placed him in a secret compartment under the bed. Before making their getaway through the window, they pinned a note with an ordinary dagger onto the wall adjacent to the doorway.

When Mei Fang finished, she got up and moved away from her instrument. She picked up another dagger from her cabinet and made a nick on her neck. She wiped the dagger clean before putting it back into her into her cabinet. She gave the masked figures sufficient time to escape before letting off a shriek. She opened the door sobbing that the young master had been kidnapped by two masked men while they held her at knifepoint. The bodyguards burst in to confirm that their charge had definitely disappeared. From what they could see Miss Mei Fang seemed deeply distraught by the whole thing. Eventually they noticed that her trembling finger was pointing at the note that the kidnappers had apparently left behind.

* * *

Xiao Chou did as he was told. What choice did he have with that frightening woman breathing down his neck and dogging him? To think he had actually believed her to be a sweet pretty girl on their first encounter. In bad grace and with much resentment, he passed on the messages to the five households as was instructed to by the young master of Qing Shan Yuan. Of course he was tempted to make his getaway but he had to tread carefully as the hairs on the back of his neck could feel the presence of the sword-wielding harridan watching his every move.

Indeed Xing'er, deploying her _qing gong_ , flew across the roof tops as she watched him from ideal vantage points as he went from house to house. She had a strong desire to do him serious physical harm and would have if he had so much as looked in the wrong direction. She was persuaded... and she herself conceded that in the larger scheme of things, he was more useful alive than dead unless he were to act outside the parameters of his instructions. She would then be there to pounce on him and give him a good going over.

But it seemed like she wasn't the only one watching Xiao Chou. Yuwen Yue had dispatched a couple of Yue guards to stalk him carefully on the ground.

Turning her thoughts to him, it amazed her that Yuwen Yue could even think about playing _wei qi_ at a time like this but he was probably born with nerves of steel. She knew she needn't worry now that he had put his hand to the plough. He would see it through right to the bitter end and protect every single person on his team. A part of her was deeply envious of all the men and women who were such an integral part of the mission. In her head, she knew that protecting the girls was the right thing to do but deep down she craved to be in the thick of things like everyone else.

* * *

"Ah… interesting… a tiger mouth here… to protect your weakness."

"Perhaps but also to gain territory in this corner."

This was followed by silent contemplation as both men considered their next moves in advance. They had played against each other on many occasions and were well aware of one another's propensities on the _wei qi_ board. But there was something else driving Yuwen Yue today. Several extensions and responses later, His Highness remarked half-annoyed, half-amused,

"Encroaching into my corner! Are you throwing down the gauntlet? Looking to pick a fight?"

"It's only a fight if one can't see the long term benefits and reacts unthinkingly. A challenge brings its own opportunities for compromise and long-term survival."

"True enough."

* * *

Night had fallen. The five messages went to five men who later gathered in the largest guest room of an old inn located 10 _li_ outside the city. In the normal course of their lives one would not have expected them to be there. It was the type of place that did not reflect their social strata or the lavish lifestyles that they were accustomed to. The nervousness that marked their appearance seemed indicative of their discomfort not just with the location but also with the company gathered. Yet they were there… driven in part by compulsion and by habit, not necessarily united in a common cause but clearly by a common need.

The room though was not comparable to any that were offered in the larger inns inside the city, it was clean and neat. The five men took up various positions in it wondering what manner of person had decided to bring them altogether in this fashion. Each man mulled over the possibilities but

"Stop pacing back and forth, Chen old fellow. You're getting on my nerves." Wang Guang, head of the Wang clan complained.

"Why were we summoned? Lin Fushu is dead." The one called Chen Kang demanded to know. He was a dealer in northern ceramics.

"It's a good question. But you came didn't you?" was the calm response of Liu Su, second ranked official in the Ministry of Works.

"So did you." Chen Kang responded peevishly

"Curiosity got the better of us. Perhaps we are all here for the same reason: To find out if our secret is safe," remarked Yang Mingxin, a third ranked official working under the Minister of Personnel and a relative of the decent consort Yang.

"Someone obviously knows about this place," noted Li Fen who was a scion of the first branch of the powerful Li clan.

"Or they're just fishing. If that's the case, we can plead ignorance and deny everything." Yang Mingxin reasoned.

While they were debating the relative merits of remaining or leaving, a young couple dressed like well-to-do commoners walked in with freshly made tea and piping hot snacks. They bowed respectfully. The man had a short beard and was well-built. He looked like he could have been a soldier at one time and the woman, though simply made-up was attractive after a fashion. There was an unmistakable shrewdness in her expression as she looked over her guests one at a time.

"Please sirs, help yourselves and enjoy."

"Who are you? Where's the old crone that used to run this place?"

"We are the new proprietors here. I am He Cao and this is my wife."

"Really? We didn't know that she sold up and left."

"Yes, just last week. We made her an offer she couldn't resist so she's gone back to her hometown in Xi Lu "

"It seems like you've been expecting us." Yang Mingxin noted astutely.

"A gentleman bearing the surname Lin told us that you were all coming. He requested that we look after you well."

"What did he look like?"

"He had small eyes, a moustache and a small scar on the left side of his forehead," was the reply.

"It sounds like Lin Ke."

"That makes sense. What does he want?"

"We're not sure, sirs. He just gave us instructions to serve you all well."

"Perhaps he wants to make a deal with us. He obviously think he can supply us with the goods."

"But I thought…" Chen Kang began to say but was interrupted by Liu Su.

"Alright, that's fine. We'll wait for Lin Ke."

The couple bowed respectfully and took their leave, carefully closing the door behind them.

"Assuming that it is Lin Ke, isn't the timing somewhat suspicious? Why didn't he contact us sooner?"

"Who knows? Perhaps he wanted to stay quiet for a while."

"I don't like it!" Chen Kang exploded.

"You don't like much. But you're here despite all your suspicions." Liu Su remarked.

"Why are you here then?" Chen Kang demanded belligerently.

"Because like you, I am an addict. Lin Fushu provided a service that we all enjoyed. He took advantage of our weaknesses certainly but we went along with his scheme willingly."

After a patch of silence, Yang Mingxin spoke up. "His Highness Prince Xiang and his running dog, Yuwen Yue must surely be on to us by now. Especially after that political stunt we pulled that time in court."

"They might be but they can't be sure and what proof would they have? Besides nobody cares, do they? That fool Yuwen Xi got away with the mass murder of women hundreds of times over and no one moved against him," commented Li Fen.

"But the times are changing. Prince Xiang is practically the _de facto_ ruler and he's not like his father. He won't let this go that easily." Yang Mingxin noted.

"We can exert the necessary political pressure via Yuwen Yue. His relationship with that woman, Chu Qiao warrants serious investigation anyway."

"Perhaps but don't ever underestimate Yuwen Yue. That would be a grave mistake that will lead to all our deaths. He isn't the successor to the Eyes of God for no reason," warned Yang Mingxin.

Chen Kang muttered something under his breath.

"Where's that Lin Ke? Why's he making us wait? That dog villain is becoming arrogant. He should know his place."

While everyone was talking, Wang Guang's frown grew more pronounced. "I don't like it. He should have been here by now. Lin Fushu might have been a lowlife scum but he knew how to conduct his business and his successor would know better than to keep us waiting."

"Lin Ke could be cut from a different cloth."

Li Fen shook his head and said, "I've only met with him on two occasions but he didn't strike me as being arrogant."

Chen Kang was about to make a comment when they heard a loud knock on the door.

"Master Wang, it's me, Hei Shu," said the voice through the crack of the door. It was the household steward.

"Didn't I tell you not to come here?" Old Master Wang scolded as he unlatched the door.

"Something's happened to Young Master!" The servant was quite distraught.

"Ming'er? Tell me." Old Master Wang demanded.

The household steward whispered in Wang Guang's ear and the old master's face transformed from one of annoyance to horror in an instant.

His response was immediate. "There's no time left to lose. We'll go at once."

"Where are you going Wang Guang?" Chen Gang demanded.

"It's a family emergency, I have to go."

"What's happened?

"I can't say exactly. Anyway, I have to go." The Elder Wang made a dash for the exit.

Chen Gang tried to stop him but was pushed aside. He fell to the floor and shouted after the fleeing Wang Guang.

"Wang Guang, come back here! Tell us what's going on! We're in this together."

Wang Guang was too preoccupied with whatever crisis had emerged on the domestic front to bother with his bedfellows. He was single-mindedly homeward bound. The four remaining men were left speculating what had befallen the Young Master Ming to provoke his father to act in haste.

After what seemed to be a long time of silent contemplation, Chen Kang who was increasingly on edge decided that it was time for him to leave, "I don't like it. You men can stick around if you like but this whole thing is making me nervous."

"Are you leaving?"

"Yes, I need to get home and finish my inventory anyway. I should also check on Wang Guang."

So saying, Chen Kang made a dash for the door, ran down the stairs and walked out the inn.

"Maybe Chen Kang has the right idea," said Yang Mingxin. "There doesn't seem to be any point staying."

Li Fen stroked his beard thoughtfully before remarking to the others, "I don't know if Lin Ke or anyone else is coming this evening."

"Who summoned us here and why?"

"Why drag us out all the way here and not show up?"

"Maybe it's a prank."

Yang Mingxin shook his head. "It's no prank."

Liu Su who had been largely silent throughout the evening's proceedings spoke up, "Someone wants us here for a reason."

Just then the new proprietors came to inform them that Manager Lin had sent over a servant with documents for them to read and appraise. At the last minute the manager couldn't come himself, as there was a fire emergency at the sericulture facility that he had to attend to.

The men took the documents and leafed through them, nodding as they read. The terms of contract were much the same except for changes in venue and delivery times.

As they were about to make their decision, they heard a knock on the door. Liu Su got up and to see who it was. As he opened the door, he was surprised that their visitor was a woman whose face was hidden behind a veil. Though simply dressed, she exuded an aura of regality and her voice, when she spoke, was one that commanded authority.

As she walked in, she surveyed the room before saying, "Gentlemen, I gather you have been expecting me."

All three men were astounded. "Who are you, Miss?"

She reached into her left sleeve and pulled out a small piece of vellum. On it was Lin Fushu's seal with the word "bao" stamped in the corner.

"You recognize this surely?" She quizzed.

"We don't know who you are, Miss."

"According to the note I was told to come here and meet with a group of associates who had crucial information to sell to me."

"You're mistaken, Miss."

"I don't think so. This is where Lin Fushu often did his drop offs. You are his associates, aren't you?"

On hearing this, Yang Mingxin spoke up, "Gentleman, something tells me that we shouldn't remain here much longer."

* * *

Wang Guang read the kidnapper's note several times over, mostly in disbelief. He expected a ransom demand but there was none. It was just a note saying that the young master Ming would be properly cared for and further instructions would be left for the family at a later time. This sent the father who was already half way out of his mind with worry into a tailspin. Extortion he could handle but not this uncertainty. He was sweating profusely and pacing back and forth in his study. His First Lady was blaming the Second who was blaming the newly acquired concubine. Moreover, it seemed that everyone who was not a servant was taking a turn to kick and hit the bodyguards. The entire household was in complete disarray.

Two hours later, another message duly arrived via arrow mail with the young master's heirloom jade piece threatening to expose the Elder Wang's "darkest secret" to his family unless he brought a hundred gold bars to a designated location. No mention was made of the son, which made the family even more fearful. This sent the patriarch of the household scrambling around his study as he searched in all the secret places where his wealth was hidden.

On the other hand, when Chen Gang finally arrived home, he was still mulling over the evening's events. It had been an evening peppered by strange occurrences. He wandered aimlessly around the courtyard trying to piece together everything when he remembered that he hadn't done the nightly inventory of his ceramic collection. When he ambled into the ceramic room, he came upon a large sack on his front door. On opening it, he was astonished to see the figure of Young Master Ming who was unconscious but quite alive. He quickly called out for his house steward and then ordered him to carry the young man into a guest bedroom. After deliberating over what the best course of action would be, he decided to send a servant to inform the young man's father of his son's whereabouts.

As the servant scurried out of the main gate of the mansion, unbeknownst to him, someone was following him closely. Before the servant could get to Wang Guang's residence, someone sneaked up from behind and rendered him unconscious.

Meanwhile Chen Gang was wondering what had happened to the servant and what was taking him so long so he ordered a horse-drawn carriage to take the young man home himself.

As Chen Gang was passing by the local baker's shop, the wheel of the carriage hit something hard on the road, which dislodged the wheel, sending the carriage flying to the side of the street and creating an almighty crash. This caused quite a commotion and a small crowd of bystanders formed around the scene. Chen Gang climbed out of the wreck and pleaded for help to get Young Master Ming out. An onlooker heard the plea and came to his assistance. It took some effort to get the young man out of the wreck and he was bleeding from serious head injuries.

At that time, Wang Guang was rushing to make the ransom drop. He noticed the pandemonium on the way, and ordered his carriage to stop. He recognized Chen Gang and hurried over to him to find out what was going on. Before either man could say another word, Wang Guang noticed the figure of his missing son lying lifelessly in the splintered debris with blood on his face and body. He staggered forward and fell on top of the young man.

"I am receiving retribution for what I've done," the father wailed heart-rendingly.

"He's fine, Wang old fellow, he's just unconscious." Chen Gang tried to calm the other man by patting him on the back.

"Why was he with you?"

"I found him in my ceramic room. Someone left him there. He was probably drugged."

Wang Guang's face contorted into some semblance of incredulity. "What kind of tale is that, Chen Gang? Do you expect me to believe it?"

"But it's true!"

"You kidnapped my son, you despicable excuse for a human being and you were trying to blackmail me!"

"I did no such thing. I told you, I found him in my house."

Wang Guang jumped on the other man and both of his hands were wrapped around the other man's throat

"If you needed money, you could have come to me instead of involving my son."

Chen Gang could barely mouth his words, "It wasn't me, it really wasn't me." He groaned hoarsely.

Wang Guang was having none of it and tightened his grip around the other man in absolute rage.

Some bystanders evidently had seen enough and decided it was time to intervene. Two men grabbed whole of Wang Guang and tore him off Chen Gang who was inches away from being a dead man.

* * *

"You're ruthless, positively ruthless today. You gave the impression that you were off building your territory and then at the end you surrounded my stones and destroyed my defences."

"You didn't think I was going to let you win, did you?"

"I'm not that naïve, Yuwen Yue." The prince eyed his _wei qi_ opponent with more than a hint of awe. "You know, I'm glad that we're on the same side because I would hate to ever go to war against you. On the surface you're every inch the gentleman but if anyone were to cross you, Heaven help us all."

"Perhaps but I have things I need to protect and I can't do it by playing a gentleman's game."

* * *

 _Glossary:_

 _wei qi_ – commonly known as Go; consensus is that it is the longest surviving board game still being played. One of the four arts that was a necessary part of the gentleman scholar's cultivation.

 _gu qin_ – a fretless zither

 _I used the expression "Chen old fellow" as an English equivalent of "Lao Chen" which is another one of those hard to translate forms of address. Like the English equivalent one doesn't need to be old to be called "lao" in this context._

 _Author's Notes:_

 _Not too much XingYue this week but hopefully it's obvious that it's a necessary extension of the themes presented so far. This was by far the most difficult chapter for me, requiring the most deliberation regarding approach and overall execution. Despite all kinds of mapping and planning, the story arc evolved on its own as I started to write it up. On top of that I started watching a few Go videos to put me in that headspace but realized in the end that it was a profound game with its own vocabulary and system… way beyond my capacity to grasp in just a week. I even started watching a few episodes of the anime,_ Hikaru no Go _, which was actually more interesting than I thought it would be._

 _In response to a guest reviewer I just want to say that I'm not the kind of writer who enjoys OTP separation as a plot device. I know that it's a trend in Chinese novels/dramas where the OTP gets separated for an extended number of years, usually one thinking the other is dead. Frankly I'm far more interested in seeing couples do things together and growing together, learning to work out their happily-ever-after in a dynamic rather than static fashion. The conventional wisdom in dramas is that couples need to earn their right to stay together by being separated first but I personally find that tedious. Separation had some justification in PA but for over half the show? It's more torturous than ringing through to a government service only to be put on hold for half an hour. To add insult to injury, we're subject to looped messages assuring us that someone "will be with you shortly"._

 _A couple of people have commented about how easily Lin Fushu got away with murder, theft and sexual exploitation. Yes, on some level he may have but this story isn't really about him or even the minor villain that litter this story. To me he symbolizes the insidiousness of evil that is perpetuated by a society that has lost its moral bearings because there is no real leadership on that front. The reason why he could survive and thrive in such an environment was because he fed on the greed and lusts of others who were just as bad as he was._

 _All the faults and absurdities of this chapter are mine._


	10. Leveraging the Ledger 2

In-Laws and Outlaws: Leveraging the Ledger 2

* * *

It was a trap.

That fact became blindingly self-evident as they dashed out the main entrance like frightened rabbits. All the questions that had been gambolling around inside their minds evaporated in an instant while new ones replaced them. But the luxury of mulling and analysis was not afforded to them at this time. Their survival instincts immediately kicked in and their legs moved with inhuman speed as they scrambled to find their way in the darkness. It didn't much matter which way they were headed but a sense of foreboding told them that they had to remove themselves from that inn in haste as their very existence depended on it.

The woman with the veil who had inadvertently alerted them to some nebulous but imminent danger was not too far behind. She had the advantage of being fleet-footed. Some internal alarm bell told her that the terror that was propelling them was genuine and they weren't suddenly in the grip of some momentary lunacy. But all attempts to communicate at this time were fraught with difficulties while each man had only his own survival uppermost in his thoughts.

The escape attempt while commendable effort wise was ultimately futile. The net had been cast and they were the haul that their captors were lying in wait for. Some sadistic trickster had given them false hope of the possibility of escape when in reality it had all been an illusion. The three men, who were not trained in martial arts, lost heart instantly when they came face to face with well-built trained fighting men.

The woman, however, put up more of a fight. First she unleashed an array of hidden poisoned darts that mowed down the first row of soldiers as they made their approach towards her. Those she missed came at her with swords, which she deftly managed to dodge and kick before unsheathing her own blade. She swerved and then lunged continuously managing to disarm and injure half a dozen men. Suddenly out of nowhere, with no warning, a dagger at the end of a chain flew towards her. She barely managed to dodge it when a tiny flying dagger came barrelling towards her, hitting her in the right arm and compelling her to drop her sword. Relentlessly and instantly another dart sped swiftly towards her aimed at incapacitating her left arm. It promptly hit the mark. The dagger-headed chain came whizzing towards her once again, swung to target her legs in one fell swoop. From this attack, she succumbed and collapsed to the ground, finally immobilized by the enemy.

"Princess Xiao Yu of Liang. We meet again."

Those words had a clear, confident ring and were spoken by a woman. Her voice had a vaguely familiar ring. The female figure trod closer to the princess before speaking again.

"I don't suppose you remember me. We met at the old headquarters of the Afterlife Camp. Your servant here is Meng Feng."

A thought occurred to Princess Xiao Yu. "You're here under the orders of Yuwen Yue."

"Precisely."

"You came to capture these men and I."

"We did."

"Who are they?" The princess quizzed genuinely curious.

"Spies… double agents… I imagine that's why they were meeting you covertly."

Immediately a cry of protest came from the prisoners.

"We are _not_ spies!" spat Yang Mingxin. "And we weren't meeting up with her _covertly_. It was just a coincidence that she was there. We were convening for a business meeting with Lin Ke. If you don't believe us, ask him."

"We have documents proving that you were in a conspiracy with Lin Fushu against the State."

"We had a deal with Lin Fushu but our business had nothing to do with espionage." Li Fen insisted. "We are being arrested under false pretences."

"What kind of business meeting did you have that you had to meet outside the city?"

"That's none of your business!"

"That's fine with me. I'm not the one you have to answer to. We'll take you to see His Highness Prince Xiang and the justice minister so you can take your time to explain everything to them slowly."

"You're making a huge mistake."

"Well, it won't be the first one." The former assassin said calmly. "My orders are to hand you over to the palace and nothing more. Someone else will adjudicate your case."

"What about me?" The Princess Xiao Yu demanded. "Until this evening, I've never even met these men."

"We've been tasked with arresting you and bringing you back also."

"This is no way to treat a friendly foreign dignitary."

"Are you a friendly foreign dignitary? You were meeting some dubious individuals in secret and started attacking government sanctioned troops."

"I can explain everything!"

"Well, I'm sure you can but I'm not the one who needs to hear it. You can say what you want to say to His Highness Prince Xiang."

Xiao Yu tried to wriggle free of her bonds but was held down by Meng Feng and another former Afterlife Camp member.

"Hey, you're the new inn keeper's wife." Li Fen exclaimed as light fell on Meng Feng's figure.

"At your service, Your Excellency."

* * *

It had been under their noses all the time. Without the information that was retrieved by the Eyes of God agent from the sericulture facility they could not have ascertained the location of Lin Fushu's immense wealth. Despite everything he knew about the man's depraved activities, Yuwen Yue recognized Lin Fushu's wicked sense of humour. Nonetheless on this occasion the young master was not inclined to laugh. Instead his face wore an expression of undisguised revulsion. The sum total of Lin Fushu's liquid assets… enormous, fabulous wealth was hidden in the room of the warehouse where he had imprisoned Xiao Le and Shui Zhu like chattel. The irony of it all… the chunk of his worldly possessions hoarded under the floorboards of a room where it seemed unlikely anyone would look. Still, it provided Young Master Yue an insight into the mind of the previous owner who did not see the young women merely as his prisoners but part of his grand collection of assets contained in his hidden underground facility. Gold, jewellery, foreign artefacts, and unknown quantity of bronze coins… that could be used to rebuild villages that had fallen victim to the recent floods. Yuwen Yue made a mental note that everything had to be inventoried at some stage in future before they could be transported out of the warehouse.

But the real treasure trove in the eyes of the young master were the secret documents which proved that Lin Fushu was involved not only in the kidnapping of young orphaned women and girls but also in the sale of government secrets to neighbouring states and territories. This was the final leverage that Yuwen Yue needed to maintain pressure on Lin Fushu's cronies to properly end this matter politically. There were hints of espionage and smuggling activiites in the ledger but to have undeniable written proof was worth more than all the gold and precious stones contained in that secret vault. It was an hour before sunrise, the day would soon be dawning. Yuwen Yue envisaged a very long day ahead as he ordered his Yue guards to gather the crucial documents and take them out of the vault.

Yue Qi who had been surveying the loot was clearly impressed with the find. "Young Master, we could've waited till sundown."

The young master shook his head. "No we couldn't. We had to act quickly because once the arrests of Li Fen, Yang Mingxin and Liu Su are made public, everyone involved in Lin Fushu's organization in some way would have time to get their stories straight or make a run for it. The element of surprise was necessary. We need Lin Ke to remain where he is right now but it won't be long before he realizes that Lin Fushu's private papers from the safe in the office has been taken. He will undoubtedly put two and two together."

"What about Chen Gang or Wang Guang?" Yue Qi inquired.

Yuwen Yue did not answer immediately but released a sigh. "That problem will resolve itself eventually but sadly, there were innocent casualties, which has been the most regrettable part of the entire exercise."

"Wang Ming will be fine, I'm sure."

"It isn't just that." The young master paused for a moment. "Even having to bring him into the fray is truly regrettable. He's a prat undoubtedly but he shouldn't have to pay for his father's sins. Sadly though, he will have to shoulder the consequences of those sins. He and every single member of the Wang clan unfortunately. But the nobles as a class are culpable for their complacency and indifference to those whose station don't merit their notice. Unfortunately, in our society, our justice system doesn't respect the dignity of young women or slaves enough to deal harshly with those who abuse them. Unfortunately those in power get away lightly with all their misdeeds because they have the wealth and connections to do so. This is why our country is in disarray and our institutions are collapsing because we fail to care for even the basic rights of the ordinary people."

"You've changed Young Master." Yue Qi said with a knowing smile. "I know you've never cared for the dissolute ways of the other young nobles but to go to this extent for those girls… you've changed."

"Is it that obvious?" The young master murmured. He didn't say anything else as he became preoccupied by other thoughts.

It was left to Yue Qi to continue the exchange. "It's because of Xing'er, isn't it?"

"Perhaps." The young master allowed himself a smile. "Perhaps this was always the path that I was meant for and what I needed was a push in the right direction. When I think of how Xing'er came along with her noisy brashness demanding justice from oppression, demanding in no uncertain terms that I feel her pain, how could I ignore her? How could I ignore someone who wanted to live that much? Someone who believed in freedom so radically and so dangerously… It was… intriguing. For the first time in my life I even allowed myself to entertain the idea of wanting something I wasn't even permitted to consider."

"She certainly stood out from the other maids," acknowledged Yue Qi.

"It wasn't just that she stood out from the other maids, although that was true too. She didn't _think_ like a maid or a slave. It wasn't even that she thought like a noble either. She thought like a free person. She had ideas that didn't belong in this world and she vehemently refused to accept the status quo."

"She was fortunate to have met you. Not all masters would have done as much as you did."

"Perhaps. I don't know that it was that simple. But it's true when a man likes a woman he makes himself vulnerable to her in a way he wouldn't for anyone else."

"Is this why you never took a concubine?" Yue Qi asked cautiously, expecting to be chided or slapped for crossing the line. "Because in your heart you were seeking a woman that you liked?"

To his surprise, the slap and the chastisement didn't come instead the young master replied with no small measure of candour, "I never even considered I would have a choice. My life was duty bound the moment I was born. In my world of snares and snakes, no one can sleep easy being open with their feelings. It's suicide. In this world it is axiomatic that when a man is emotionally invested in anything… but especially a woman, he is doomed to be manipulated by others. As successor to the Eyes of God, there was no room for error. I could not afford to be manipulated by anyone whether it was His Majesty or the third branch or the other nobles in court. I had people and things to protect. When, however, I realized that even when I kept my feelings and desires hidden and I still couldn't protect everything that I cared about, I knew that I wasn't the problem.

"There are larger forces at play that are out of my control even if I were to sit on the throne. Just from using what little power to protect the people I care about, I have already hurt a number of people, some of them bystanders. There is a cost. I can call it justice but I cannot delude myself into thinking that justice… my justice… has no price."

"Young Master, no one can deny that you've done your best."

"What is my best or my worst? Who can say? There is no perfect world, much less a perfect man. Who can even say what that looks like? For the nobles, this was their perfect society… where they were in absolute control, free to fulfill their whims answerable only to a fatuous king who only cared about keeping his throne safe. But for the ordinary people, it was their worst nightmare… one they couldn't awaken from. The best that I can do… it seems… is tilt the scales slightly in their favour.

"Am I doing it for their good… or for mine? I will never be completely sure. "

"I'm sure Xing'er will understand."

"I certainly hope so."

 _Because I'm never letting go of her again._

* * *

Yang Mingxin had never seen the inside of a prison before much less experience incarceration. He was led politely to his cell and even the shackles that bound him were undone as he collapsed onto the mud, dust, dirt-filled stony floor.

"What am I being charged for?" He insisted getting an answer from the bailiff who had led him to his cell.

"I'm sure there will be someone here to let you know soon."

"Who? His Highness? Yuwen Yue?"

"I'm just a bailiff."

Yang Mingxin felt the injustice of his position. This trumped up charge of espionage was a ploy to get him locked up. Nevertheless, deep down he could scarcely plead ignorance. The murdered girls. That started it all. Although he hadn't been responsible for their deaths, he was complicit in some fashion. Lin Fushu had provided a service in secret and he, like all the others had gone in with their eyes wide open and embraced every element, every ramification. Invoking justice at this point would be riddled with irony. The catch cry of someone who painted himself as a victim because he was caught. He understood how the political process worked. Pleading innocence would fall on deaf ears because he would be guilty by association. Just as many before were… like those who spoke in defence of the Yan Shicheng.

There was no one in the royal court who really believed that the previous Marquise of Yanbei was guilty of treason. Everyone knew that the entire affair had been an overreach on the part of His Majesty. His own insecurity and jealousy had led him to act rashly and execute the entire family. But no one stood up to the king. Doing so would have been courting death.

Yang Mingxin thought about his family and how they would be implicated in all of this. He thought about the choices that led him down this path. He thought about the fateful day Lin Fushu brought him the contract. He thought about the well-laid trap that saw him in his present predicament. He thought about the day when he was in court and was one of those who instigated the idea of putting political pressure on Yuwen Yue. He thought hard about Yuwen Yue and his rationale for getting involved. He knew that Yuwen Yue would be relentless in his pursuit of the truth because like everyone else the young master of Qing Shan Yuan had too much at stake to surrender at the first sign of trouble.

The third-ranked official in the Ministry of Personnel had much to think about and all the time in the world to think about them.

* * *

General Song took his sword out of its scabbard and began polishing the blade until it gleamed while reflecting the rays of dawn's light. He knew there was no escaping the consequences of his reprehensible association with Lin Fushu. It would be only a matter of time before Prince Xiang's favoured watchdog would be prowling at his door. All that was left was for a proud man like him was to go on his own terms… deal with own sins and pay for them in the only way he knew how without dragging his family into it. Despite his bravado and bluster earlier on, his conscience had been needling him, pressing him to a place of honesty even while his natural inclination was to resist the reality he was faced with. He was backed into a corner… and the inevitable was looming. At least he had mercifully been given time to tidy his affairs.

With a heavy heart he had partaken of his morning meal, and said his farewells to his wife and children. Now he was alone in his tent composing a long letter in his best hand, outlining reasons for his sudden departure, his confession, his regrets, the degree of his ignorance regarding Lin Fushu's problematic activities and his decision to set aside his own suspicions about them to drown out his own conscience.

Would he do it again knowing what he knew now? He wasn't sure. The toll that the whole thing exacted was immense and the certainty that kept him steadfastly on course diminished overnight. He was certain of course, that Yuwen Yue would never let sleeping dogs lie especially after the threat on his life. He would demand justice.

There was no point in prolonging the inevitable. General Song lifted his sword while the tears were welling up in his eyes. He was about to plunge it into his chest when an arrow flew towards him and knocked the sword off his hand. Startled by this last minute intervention, he looked up and saw his second-in-command running towards him.

"General! Why?" Colonel Ling demanded sadly.

"Yiquan! What are you doing here? How did you…?"

"Yuwen Yue thought that you might try to… He sent a messenger."

"He knew? Is there nothing this man doesn't know?" General Song laughed bitterly. "You shouldn't have stopped me. You should have let me die with some honour."

"Honour? Isn't it a little too late to think about that?"

The voice came from behind him and General Song swung round to see who it was. The young master of Qing Shan Yuan seemed to emerge from nowhere. His ubiquity was becoming a matter for alarm.

"You are cruel, Yuwen Yue. You wouldn't even allow a man that much."

"Allow what? For you to escape easy, for your family to live in shame because of your sins?" was the imperturbable retort. "But thank you, for this confession. It makes my job so much easier and nobody has to get their hands dirty."

"You are determined to hound me and make me pay aren't you?"

"To make you pay, yes. As for hounding you, it all depends on what you do from now on."

"Stop toying with me. Let me pay for my sins by dying." The general begged.

"In this game of _wei qi_ , suicide is not allowed. But you will pay… one way or another."

* * *

Chu Qiao looked on with immense satisfaction as she watched Xiao Le's happy reconciliation with her younger siblings. Xiao Le and Shui Zhu were happily playing with the children and the sound of their laughter rang through the courtyard at Qing Shan Yuan. No. 8 and No. 9 were finally successful in tracking them down after 3 weeks. They were found just outside their village living and working for a rice farmer. The family reunion was an antidote to recent happenings and much needed at a time when matters for celebration were a scarce commodity.

Witnessing this happy company her thoughts soon flew to all the girls they couldn't save, the ones who had no voice, no choice who had their lives cut short. That was undoubtedly a grievous tragedy. Nothing could be done for them now except to remedy an injustice: To expose their abusers and their murderers to the whole world to stem the tide of rampant corruption in the system. Looking however, at the girls and the children… the ones they were able to save… reminded Chu Qiao once again of what it was that drove her to take up their common cause in the first instance… an insatiable craving for the power to throw off callous masters and oppressors. They inadvertently had become the faces of a country's failure to care for its people at the grassroots. There were thousand of men, women and children out there who needed help. It was impossible for her… for Yuwen Yue to save them all.

Of course this begged the question of what were they to do with these children… orphaned by corruption and greed, refugees who had no place to go. Those were the questions flicking restlessly through her mind. Like the Xiuli men who seemed to be perpetual sojourners… where would they call home? Would Qing Shan Yuan be their permanent home? Would Yuwen Yue be amenable to this ever increasing influx of individuals whose presence could potentially complicate their lives? Would Yuwen Zhuo, even with his newfound amiability? It seemed now that resolving one set of problems meant the emergence of a myriad of others. There were all the other orphans from the epidemic and the recent flooding. Who was going to care for them?

While ruminating over the problems of the world and seeking what seemed to be an elusive solution to her domestic predicaments, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that the young master of the manor had returned with his faithful aide. He was glancing over at the children with some interest as they were wrestling on the grass but as usual gave no hint as to what he was thinking. As he turned to face the direction she was standing, their eyes met. The impassive demeanor broke into an unexpected smile as he saw her gazing right at him first with genuine pleasure but then concern. Despite the smile, his eyes contained all the signs of fatigue and his shoulders seemed to sag with weariness of a man carrying the weight of the world on them. In her concern she threw aside her inhibitions and made a dash for his arms in full view of all that were present. The embrace that came next startled him momentarily but then he relaxed into the warmth of hug.

Yue Qi averted his eyes instinctively at this public display of affection and turned away while ceremoniously clearing his throat. Gasps from the children turned into giggles with Xiao Le and Shui Zhu putting their hands over their lips in shy amusement.

"It seems that I have become a source of amusement in my own backyard." Yuwen Yue noted dryly.

He was not his usual robust self so she went straight to the point.

"Are you alright? You look very tired."

He patted her hair first and fiddled playfully with a few wayward strands. "You have a knack of stating the obvious. Yes, I am tired which is to be expected considering I haven't slept for over a day now."

"Then why aren't you heading off to bed?"

"I will be as soon as I complete my report for His Highness."

"The report can wait…"

"No, it can't. Besides, I prefer to do it while everything is fresh in my mind."

"Alright, if you have to, go and do it. I'll bring you some snacks and make you a pot of tea as soon as I see to the children's midday meal. It won't take long."

"That's probably the best offer I've had in the last 12 hours."

She looked at him suspiciously

"I didn't think playing _wei qi_ was such hard work."

"It requires more work than you think."

"Did you win?"

"I usually do."

* * *

It took her far longer to take care of things than she had anticipated. Dealing with children brought with it an element of unpredictability. By the time she made her way into his room, he had already fallen fast asleep slouched over his desk. The bamboo scroll that he was writing on prior to succumbing to slumber was still lying flat on his desk. It bore witness to his resolution that he would complete the report before succumbing completely to fatigue. It was proof that he had persevered right up to the last brushstroke.

Chu Qiao gently lifted his head but he did not stir. Clearly he had fallen into a deep sleep completely oblivious to his surroundings. So she carefully removed the scroll from under his head and slowly slid it to the unoccupied side of the desk.

As she attempted to roll it up, her eyes were drawn to a set of characters that was vaguely familiar. They were names of the suspects that had been colluding and collaborating with Lin Fushu. Yuwen Yue had been quite busy. He found the key characters in the dramatis personae of this sordid tale and allegedly caught them red handed trying to negotiate the sale of secrets to a spy from Liang who turned out to be none other than Princess Xiao Yu, who for several years had been Lin Fushu's main contact from Liang. The men in the sexual exploitation ring were key people in the government and were seriously compromised by their relationship with Lin Fushu and were manipulated by him to give up confidential information, which he gladly passed on to the highest bidder. These men were refusing to confess to their crimes but the evidence from Lin Fushu's ledger, secret contracts and other documents containing highly confidential information only known to a handful of people, incriminated them. Any denial would be useless as they were implicated in some fashion.

The web that Lin Fushu spun had been quite intricate. He had access to top personnel in the government and had found a way to use that to his advantage and further his business interests. Whether they were ignorant of his true motives for approaching them and offering them a service mattered little in the scheme of things. While they were pawns in his game they were also predators that took advantage of the system that rewarded the powerful.

Yuwen Yue understood only too well that he had to capture these men in quick succession without alerting them to the fact that they were being hunted. An attempt had already been made on his life and they could have succeeded. Unless he attacked the problem at the roots, Qing Shan Yuan and all its residents would perpetually be roving political targets of the conspirators and their cronies. Without a doubt they had the resources and the powerbase to elude capture or make things quite insufferable for him.

Those were some of the implications Chu Qiao was able to read between the lines. Power structures were only as effective as the people in it. Dismantling any would only be the first step in the process of reforming notions about universal justice. Beneath all the formal wording in the report, it was clear that he had been putting mechanisms into place to protect her and all the people that could negatively be affected by the aftermath.

A knowing smile soon replaced the frown that had been the dominant feature of her face while she was pondering the heady matters before them. She got up from the desk and walked to his bed where she lifted the neatly-folded blanket from the bed. Immediately the silver bell she said she was lending him for luck caught her eye. She picked it up and tucked it into her waist belt cheerfully. Afterall lending him the bell had achieved its purpose and she was reclaiming ownership over it. Bringing the blanket to where he was lying she carefully placed it over his shoulders. After that she sat down beside him holding his hand while staring contentedly at his sleeping face for a very long time.

* * *

She was the first to speak as she peered through the wooden barriers of the cell. The royal gaol was no stranger to her but it was a novelty to be on the other side of the cell.

"So this is what a man who violates defenceless young women looks like when all his power and privilege has been stripped from him."

The prisoner, who had been lying on the stony floor wondering what was in store for him, sat up and observed the large piercing eyes of a petite figure of a young woman boring right into his.

"Are you the one they call Chu Qiao?"

"Does it matter?"

"Weren't you incarcerated here not that long ago with Prince Yan Xun?"

"I might have."

"So a woman who doesn't know which man she belongs to has come to sit in judgment of a court official and gloat."

"Four years ago, that insult wouldn't have left your lips before the end of this blade reached your heart."

"I should consider myself fortunate then." The prisoner retorted in bitter sarcasm.

"You should. Because Yuwen Yue is a far better human being than you and I will ever be."

"Better human being? False charges of espionage? You must be joking!" was the indignant response.

"False charges? You were colluding with Lin Fushu. You compromised yourself to satisfy your degenerate pleasures. Who knows what you really told him?"

"What transpired between us is none of your business!"

"Probably not but you will pay and no one will really believe you what you say from here on. But frankly I don't care about that. That's not why I'm here."

"Why are you here?"

"I want to be able to tell two young women who were violated repeatedly that the men who hurt them are now safely under lock and key. I want them to know that they can sleep easy."

"You should be worried about yourself. Don't be too complacent."

"There will be time for that later. Now it's time for me to gloat, Second-ranked minister, Liu Su."

She unsheathed her sword and brandished it menacingly through the wooden bars.

"What are you doing?" Liu Su shifted uncomfortably and put himself at a comfortable distance away from the woman. An unmistakable feeling of dread was rising from the pit of his stomach.

"Me? Nothing."

"Then why the sword?"

"I just want to capture this memory of you looking terrified and gain some satisfaction of knowing that this is the look you will have as you live out the rest of your existence in hell."

* * *

Wang Guang was sitting up grasping his knees, rocking to and fro. He was muttering his son's name over and over again oblivious to his surroundings. Chu Qiao studied him carefully as she stooped outside his cell wondering how much of his mind was still capable of rational thought. The head of the Wang clan was a pathetic and broken man… wallowing in an unspeakable sorrow, trapped in a prison of guilt and fear inside his own mind. The temptation for her to inflict pain on him was great but looking at the shell of a man, who was far from resembling anything like a sexual predator gave her pause. Wang Guang looking disheveled and pathetic was just an old man… a father who was out of his mind with fear for his son's life.

He was being watched. Like a bird in a birdcage, those who were soon to determine his fate were looking for a response. The woman spoke first.

"You don't need to stand around and watch over me, Your Highness. I won't do anything. I gave you my word, didn't I?"

His Highness barely suppressed a grin. "I'm not here because I believe that you will do any serious damage although I wouldn't blame you if you did."

The lady turned to the prince in surprise. "Are you giving me permission to hurt this man?"

"Do you really want to… hurt this man?"

"Yes… and no…"

"That was what I thought."

"It's not because I've forgiven him."

"Of course not."

"I wanted to look at evil in the eye and understand what makes one person hurt another person. But I'm disappointed."

"Are you?"

"He looks so ordinary and… pathetic."

"What? Were you expecting him to look like a _jiang sh_ i or a _fei yu_ chimera?"

The lady thought a moment with all seriousness before saying, "I don't know… perhaps… it would be easier to think of him in that way."

"Easier to exact vengeance? Easier to kill?"

"Perhaps."

Her thoughts quickly drifted to Yan Xun and the myriad of reasons why she couldn't perceive of him as evil despite the fact that he had lied to her, kept things from her and was so quick to abandon an entire city of people. On the face of things he was still that pitiful character that she shared a prison cell with… the man who for 3 years under house arrest was fending off assassins. That was the memory she had clung on to for the longest time. In the beginning it was easy to justify the violent tendencies. It was all in the name of vengeance for what he suffered, so she had thought. But gradually being witness to the consequences of where his actions were leading to was becoming unbearable. What made it harder still was the belief that they were fellow travellers of oppression journeying towards freedom. The tension inside her - a mix of revulsion at the violence while trying to reconcile her need to be loyal – was threatening to boil over.

She couldn't articulate her thoughts with precision. Inside her mind shards of emotions and ideas formed a quagmire of questions. In the end all she could do was sum them up in a truism.

"Human evil is so complex."

In response, His Highness Prince Xiang smiled in companionable silence as they both continued watching Wang Guang mumbling to himself.

* * *

The sky was dark when Chu Qiao finally landed on the roof directly above where she thought the young master would still be asleep. Balancing deftly on the glazed tiles, she undid the harness and slipped off the flying contraption before finding a spot nearby to plant herself. A full moon graced the sky that evening calling out to her like an invitation for some solitary contemplation. Soon afterwards a low growl escaped her stomach reminding her that a woman could not live by moonlight alone and that she had a squashed up _man tou_ tucked inside her robe. She reached for it and soon began chewing through it.

Minutes later she heard a light tap behind her and swung round thinking that a friendly night fowl might be taking up overnight habitation in neighbourly fashion. A voice spoke putting that speculation to rest instantly.

"You might've startled the Yue guards and started a fight. Why didn't you come in through the front door?"

"Yuwen Yue! You're awake!"

"Again, you do like stating the obvious."

"You must be feeling better if you have the energy to be argumentative."

"You must have lots of time on your hands if you have the time to sit and enjoy the moon out here on your own."

"Well, why don't you sit here and enjoy the moon with me then?"

Young Master Yue saw the sense in that remark and took up a place beside her.

They sat in silence enjoying the evening sky briefly before Yuwen Yue broke the silence.

"I hope you didn't kill anyone in the royal gaol especially after all the effort I made to round them up."

"Of course not!" came the swift response. And then the realization hit her. "How did you…"

Yuwen Yue made no attempt to respond. He rolled his eyes and gave her his sternest look. _Really? You have to ask?_

"Did His Highness inform you?" She probed.

"Do I need to be informed about anything related to you?"

"Am I really that predictable?"

"Absolutely. To me at least."

"So you knew why I went there."

Yuwen Yue nodded. "Of course."

"I only wanted to see what they were like… to see if there was anything about them that could help me understand what made them do what they did."

"Did you… learn anything?"

"I think I was… I am… still trying to understand why Yan Xun changed so drastically. I don't think I am any closer to finding the answer. It was easier to be judgmental of these men when they were faceless entities. But seeing how feeble and pathetic they are now makes it so much harder to be rigidly judgmental because it means that despite their sins, they're human not demons. It means also that anyone is capable of being seduced by evil. And as much as I didn't want to believe it then, Yan Xun did cross the line much earlier because I focused so much on getting him to survive without thinking about what he would do after he regained his freedom and exacted his revenge. I just assumed that he would stay the same and we'd liberate Yanbei together."

Consumed by her own thoughts, she stopped speaking. For a while neither felt the need to fill silence with chatter.

"During those 3 years Yan Xun and I were close but we were never lovers. Despite all the rumours." She remarked rather abruptly. "I want you to understand that."

"I know."

"I think he wanted us to be closer… but for some reason I… just couldn't…"

"I know."

"You know? Then why have you been so… _disagreeable_ lately? I thought you were having doubts about me."

"Doubts? No. Certainly not after that night."

"Then why…"

He didn't wait for her to finish the question. "Because you're no longer my bedchamber maid!" He hesitated before saying, "You're not a slave… not mine, not anybody else's."

"Your life was on the line. I wasn't thinking about any of that. All I thought was that you could die!"

"It wasn't appropriate for me to use your body in that way."

"What I did I did freely and willingly."

"I know but…"

"But what?"

"You are the woman that I want to spend the rest of my life with, Xing'er. Not as some slave or a lesser concubine but a wife. We are going to have a family together. For me to take advantage of you before I made my public commitment to you and my ancestors is a serious dereliction of duty on my part."

"Does it matter? Everyone already thinks that I'm your woman anyway."

"All the more reason to legitimize what we have first. I know what the world out there thinks of you. It's infuriating that Grandfather assented to it especially when he was so against me marrying you in the first place."

"He was quite apologetic."

"I'm sure that he was being pragmatic." Yuwen Yue muttered sarcastically.

"You're angry… with me."

He shook his head. "No, I'm angry with myself. That I couldn't protect you from having to demean yourself in this fashion even though you are now a free woman."

"I never once thought I was demeaning myself because what I did was an act of free will."

"Xing'er. Still…"

"No regrets on my part. I would have regretted much more if you had died when I could have done something to save you. I'm happy that you love me this much to feel the way you do but as a woman who loves you, I want to protect you in any way I can. If killing General Song or any of those men meant that I could save your life, I would have done it without a second thought. But that night was the only thing I could do for you to keep you safe… to keep you alive."

She inched closer to him and reached over to fondle his cheek. "I promised you that we would live together. I will keep that promise in anyway I can. Even if the world despises me for my past choices, no one will ever doubt that I am truly your woman."

"You will still marry me though."

"Of course. Was that ever in doubt?"

* * *

 _Glossary:_

 _wei qi – commonly known as "Go"_

 _jiang shi – vampire_

 _fei yu – an ancient mythological creature that had the body of a pig, covered with red spots, topped off with the head and fins of a fish._

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

 _Yeah, I'm terribly sorry for the very late update but the past week was an interesting one. Busy as always and full of distractions where writing was concerned. I'm very thankful that people are enjoying the story to the extent that they're positioning themselves as my motivational coaches to get me back on track. :D_

 _I was amused that having taken all the trouble to set up all the "moving parts" (HT: rampantwolfhound) last time, the biggest mystery for most people was why Yuwen Yue walking around so grumpy with Xing'er. Well, I hope that mystery has now been cleared up satisfactorily and we can move on to the next phase of their relationship. I realise that XingYue is paramount in everyone's minds but it's not much fun playing in this sandbox without some story to put them into._

 _Anyway my brain is fried and I should turn my attention to other things for a day or two. Once again, thanks for reading and commenting._


	11. Leveraging the Ledger 3

In-Laws and Outlaws: Leveraging the Ledger 3

* * *

Xiao Yu, the princess of Liang was none too pleased.

Aside from being trapped in Wei indefinitely without her minions, she had unceremoniously been clapped into gaol without any official charge. This made her nervous. Moreover, she was stunned as well as dismayed at the ease in which she was trapped. This led her to speculate about how that connection between her and Lin Fushu was made. While alive the old lecher made her skin crawl but he at least understood his business well enough. He promised secrecy and for the last few years he delivered. Unfortunately he was no longer in the land of the living so there was no way to ask him personally about the leak.

Her first impulse was to try and break out but she recalled in time that this was Chang'an's most heavily guarded prison. The fact that her arms and legs were shackled would render the entire enterprise unfeasible. Despite the restrictions placed on her movements, her mind was invariably active. Even on the inside she did not cease her impulse to plot and scheme. She was after all a princess and the leader of the Liang spies. That innate sense of entitlement coupled with the belief that she was the crusader of a righteous cause would never be broken by mere incarceration. Being imprisoned in a dungeon like a common criminal wasn't how she had planned to live out the rest of her days and gaol was scarcely the kind of place she would choose as her final resting place. In such a context, ticking over in her mind were impractical notions of slow and painful ways to deal with her enemies once she got out… if she ever got out. Quickly she chose to remain optimistic by dismissing all negative sentiments from her active imagination. It was reasonable to expect that sooner or later she would be missed and someone would come looking for her. She was _the_ princess of Liang and there was no way her absence would go unnoticed for very long. Imprisoning her without representation was tantamount to declaring war and she was resolved to see the state of Wei obliterated at the first opportunity.

Still, Xiao Yu was pacing up and down her cell with frustrated impatience. At regular intervals she railed at the top of her voice against her incarceration, demanding to know who was in charge of this legal abuse. She was insistent that there could be no reason for it. It was impossible, so she claimed, that there could be any evidence linking her to any crime of espionage or that she could be culpable for any. With no advocate at hand, she had fallen victim to a frame-up job and was a mere scapegoat. On and on, she raged, lamenting that she had fallen victim to injustice, that Wei was a lawless country rife with political corruption.

When she had just about reached the end of her tether, she was greeted by a friendly almost amenable voice that seemed to emerge from nowhere.

"Don't be too sure of that, Your Highness. Lin Fushu left behind numerous but fascinating documents in his personal vault and your name comes up quite frequently in them."

It was a man in his early thirties with the bearing and apparel of the nobility. She decided instantly that he was someone who commanded notice.

"What manner of person are you?"

"I am Yuan Che. I believe you've been shouting for me."

"Yuan Che? Prince Xiang? Are you responsible for my incarceration?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes."

"I demand that you release me at once! How dare you treat a friendly neighbouring country in this fashion?"

"The state of Wei has no quarrel with the state of Liang but we don't take kindly to spies causing trouble in our country."

The princess simulated an overwrought indignation. "Who are you calling a spy?"

"There's no one else around here."

"That's a serious charge, Your Highness. Do you have any proof?"

"The fact that you showed up at that inn under suspicious circumstances is one. But more importantly, you've been in communication with Lin Fushu for over 5 years now. He has an entire ledger full of names, not to mention contractual agreements with a number of notaries… including you. We have enough information to tie you to a number of incidences including a conspiracy with Yuwen Huai to set Yan Shicheng up as a traitor."

"I demand to be heard and for my father, the king of Liang to be informed."

"Technically because you're a known agent, you have no right to demand anything. But since we have diplomatic relations with Liang and you are a member of the royal family, we have contacted Liang on your behalf. Don't worry, there will be someone here quite soon to see you."

"My father will not be pleased when he hears of this matter."

"From what I've heard, he's outraged."

* * *

General Song could scarcely believe what he was hearing. No doubt the messenger was something of a puzzle. He had known by reputation that the successor to the Eyes of God was no ordinary mind but this was beyond anything he could have conceived. Yuwen Yue had come bearing gifts at a time when a gift was the last thing he was expecting under the circumstances. This gift arrived in the form of a deal… an opportunity to live... survive. Still the general couldn't quite decide if the offer on the table was an act of mercy or just another terrible form of retributive justice devised by the human mind.

"I'm not going to die by the executioner's sword but you're going to send me to my death anyway." The general concluded acerbically.

"That's one way of looking at it." The young master of Qing Shan Yuan remarked sedately. "Or you can see it as a way of buying yourself time… a second chance, as it were."

"A second chance…" The general muttered bitterly and then relaxed into a faint reluctant smile. "Are you giving me a chance to redeem myself?"

"Redemption… second chance… call it whatever you like. You can even think of it as regaining some semblance of the honour that you care so much about."

"But why?" The general was flabbergasted.

"Why? Because enough people have been hurt by this entire affair. I don't just mean the victims of Lin Fushu's conspiracies. When you collaborated with him, I have no doubt that you were thinking of your men and in your own way, you were trying to protect them. I believe you meant well. But by doing this, you put your family's reputation in jeopardy. You mortgaged their future for the sake of some temporary gain. Consider this, however, what would your men think if they knew what you did for their sake?"

Young Master Yue paused at the rhetorical question and allowed the implications of his words take effect.

"I still don't understand why you're helping me." General Song asked. "Especially when I tried to kill you too."

"I'm not, helping you." was the genial response. "I'm doing this for the flood refugees. For your wife and children. Someone with logistical experience is needed to distribute the relief that we're going to acquire from the mountain of gold we found in Lin Fushu's vault as well as provide medical care to the sick. Then there's the clean up that needs to be done, not to mention all the rebuilding in the regional areas. There's plenty of work to be done. Moreover, since you've done such a poor job of it so far, someone needs to protect your innocent family from an ignominious future. "

"It doesn't seem I have much choice," conceded the general.

"You can choose to reject the offer but for a survivor like yourself, death shouldn't really be an attractive prospect."

"I suppose I should thank you." The general acknowledged stiffly.

"Don't thank me. His Highness approved all of this so it's him you should thank. I'm just the messenger. As you've rightly indicated, you may not survive your time in the refugee camp anyway so any expression of gratitude might be rather premature at this stage. If it is your fate to come out of all of this alive, we can all safely conclude that Heaven has been merciful to you."

* * *

Manager Lin Ke knew that he had no time to lose. It wouldn't be long before he'd be called in for questioning. As soon as he'd heard about the arrests of Yang Mingxin, Li Chen and Liu Su, he knew the writing was on the wall. There were rumblings in some quarters too that General Song was under scrutiny by the palace running dogs. Even worse, from his perspective, was the disappearance from the office of maps and key documents drawn up by the previous master. To his mind there was unfortunately no time to investigate further but there was no doubt that the new weaver was his prime suspect. Luckily he had some money hidden in a safe house out in the countryside for emergency purposes. There was really no time to stop, breathe and gather anything if he wanted to save his own skin. He now understood why Master forbade him to marry. Master had foreseen such an event and a family would have been an encumbrance when a quick exit was needed.

He gathered a few necessities and hurriedly climbed aboard his horse-drawn carriage without a second thought. He instructed the driver to make haste and to take him out of the city immediately, in a northerly direction. At the northern gate, the carriage was stopped and the guard asked about his destination. They were on the lookout for a group of felons who had burglarized a series of mansions in the northern district. Lin Ke was relieved and showed the travel papers that he often used for business purpose. The guard nodded and signaled to his fellow guards to open the gate, which they proceeded to do. Every moment while the carriage was passing through the gate, Lin Ke clutched on tightly to the edge of his seat while trying to maintain the façade of serenity. Beads of perspiration trickled down his hairline. Every single minute they were in Chang'an, the manager of the sericulture facility was a bundle of nerves waiting to explode.

As soon as they reached the outskirts of the city, Lin Ke shouted for the driver to stop before he tumbled out of the carriage to catch a breath of fresh air. The moment his foot hit the ground he was gasping for breath. The nausea that was rising from his stomach caused him to retch severely before he finally emptied the meager contents of his last meal. He staggered back to the left wheel of the carriage and took large gasps of breath. After some moments when he had recovered, he clambered back into the carriage and collapsed into his seat furiously mopping his sweaty brow. Panting heavily he instructed the driver to take a hard left turn into the forest and drive for 10 _li_. The ride was a bumpy one and Lin Ke's features were a pathetic sight by the time anyone from the carriage could see the outlines of a cottage peeping through the dense foliage in that area.

At that point Lin Ke bellowed for the carriage to come to a halt. Before getting down and making his way to the cottage, he ordered the driver to stay with the carriage and wait for his return. Looking left and right, satisfied that no one else was in close proximity, Lin Ke scurried away towards the cottage.

Once inside, he went straight to the bedroom wall. He stood facing the tenth brick of the tenth row and slowly pulled it out of its cranny. Throwing the brick to one side, he slid his hand into the space and groped around for a bag of gold and silver ingots. Once it was within his grasp, he threw it into his bundle and ran straight out the door and towards the carriage door, which he was glad to see. He climbed into the carriage and sat down relieved that at least he had the resources to start a new life somewhere else in the Central Plains.

When he was ready he shouted to the driver to set off but this time there was no response. The carriage remained stationary. He gave an impatient yell insisting that the driver move but was only greeted by silence. Had something happened to the driver, he wondered. He drew open the curtain that was cover for the tiny window and observed to his consternation that the driver had disappeared from his post. The first obvious thing he did was panic. This was followed by the unhappy thought that his driver had abandoned him, which led him to the another obvious conclusion that it was now left to him to take control of the reins if he had any intention of getting as far away from the city as possible.

As he alighted from the passenger side, he found himself on one end of a straight edged sword. On the other end holding a hilt was a veiled figure sounding very much like a woman. Seeing the sword caused Lin Ke to shrink back instantly in alarm.

"You are a singularly unobservant man, Manager Lin. You didn't even notice that someone else was driving your carriage. This comes of being in too much of a hurry."

The manager shuddered. "Who are you? Are you a bandit? Am I being robbed?"

"Well, that is an attractive proposition if ever I heard one. The question is are you worth robbing? Or are you of more value dead?"

As if on cue Lin Ke's face turned deathly pale and he fell to on his knees begging for mercy. "I'm just a poor man on my way to visit a cousin. I have nothing of value on me."

"For a poor man, you dress rather well, not to mention you own a carriage."

Lin Ke gulped and raised his arms denoting a position of surrender. "I have a bag of money, take it but let me live."

The veiled woman lifted the sword and slid it back into its scabbard. "This isn't much fun at all. I was hoping he'd put up more of a fight."

Another voice also belonging to a woman came from the top of the carriage reminded the other deferentially, "My Lady, I think the young master wants him alive."

"I suppose that's why he sent you to watch me because he couldn't trust me not to hold back."

"I'm sure he was only concerned for your safety."

The woman in the veil grumbled under her breath. She wasn't sure which was the bigger insult: The implication that Yuwen Yue didn't trust her to follow instructions or that she needed a bodyguard.

At a loss about where he stood in the overall scheme of things, Lin Ke thought it was time that he insert himself in the conversation again, "Who are you people? What do you want with me?"

"You are of no interest to me. However, you know things about people. Important people."

"I am just a poor ignorant…"

"Stop it with the pretence, Lin Ke. We know who you are."

"How…"

"You have information that we need." The voice grew increasingly menacing.

"I don't…"

"Denial is pointless. We will get it from you one way or another," growled the mysterious woman in the veil.

Before Lin Ke was able to react again, a dark cloth bag was promptly slipped over his head and he blacked out.

* * *

Coming out of the forest, the sound of galloping hooves behind them was becoming louder.

"My Lady, we need to make haste. We are being pursued. I estimate that at least a dozen horses are right behind us. It seems that we're not the only ones interested in Manager Lin."

The woman driving the carriage looked over her shoulders briefly and nodded. "It's fine. One _li_ to the rendezvous point. We should be able to make it in time."

"They're gaining on us."

"I can just see the meeting place from here, Meng Feng."

"My Lady, I will get off to slow them down while you head for the rendezvous point."

"Meng Feng!" The driver of the carriage cried out to the former assassin to caution her but Meng Feng was moving fast.

Before another word could be said, Meng Feng jumped off the carriage and ran towards their pursuers with her weapon of choice ready for a confrontation.

Accepting with some reluctance the reality that her companion was attempting to buy her a little more time, the driver tugged at the harness and sped up towards her destination.

Not too far away from where she was supposed to meet the Xiuli men assigned to the meeting place, she could hear the clashing sound of swords engaged in fierce fighting. Apparently their adversaries had anticipated their intervention or had been lying in wait for Lin Ke to make his appearance.

"Lady Chu," A member of the Xiuli battalion ran up to her before she could alight. "A change of plan. You need to take Lin Ke to the city while we take care of things here."

"Are you sure?"

"Didn't the young master say that he's a key witness?"

"But…"

"Just go, we will handle things here and return back safely. There's no sense in jeopardizing a key witness. Go, we'll be fine."

Lady Chu saw the sense of what he said and nodded with some reluctance. She cast him a knowing look before taking off towards the edge of the forest.

Meanwhile their hostage bound and masked was at the back of the carriage groaning in agony from being thrown around like a sack of rice, bumping all over the passenger box. She had no sympathy for him whatsoever. A few bumps and bruises were probably a small fraction of what he probably deserved carrying out Lin Fushu's orders and being an accessory to his criminal undertakings. Still she had to ensure that he remained alive before handing him over to be rigorously interrogated.

For some time she thought she had given her unseen enemies the slip and had got far enough away. Suddenly she heard the twang of an arrow flying past her face inches away from missing her nose. Another zipped past. Another and another. She whipped out her sword and with one hand deflected as many as she could while still holding on to the reins with the other. Not certain for how long she could hold out for on her own, she decided there and then that to survive the attack she would have to veer off the original route and sacrifice the carriage. She swerved erratically for several hundred yards before letting go of the reins. It was a finely tuned balancing act making her way to fetch the passenger before jumping off the carriage. Using _qing gong_ to escape the unmanned carriage, she flew to the top of the closest elm and hid with her prisoner in one of the uppermost branches.

From her well-chosen vantage point she wasn't able to identify her pursuers as they were dressed in hooded cloaks. They had dismounted from their horses and were searching in the vicinity of the crashed carriage. In spite of the distance she could make out what they were saying.

"They have to be here somewhere."

"Keep searching, they can't have gone far."

It was at his time that Lin Ke chose to wriggle free and cry for help.

"Shhhh…" Her hand instinctively went over his mouth. "Don't be an idiot. It's you they're after and they're not trying to invite you to a meal either."

Those words had the desired effect and Lin Ke became motionless. Although Chu Qiao was relieved that she was able to bring her prisoner under control, she was only too aware that having dealt with one set of problems, she had to find a way to shake her pursuers and sneak out of the forest without bring attention to herself. On top of that she had only just noticed that her right shoulder was bleeding.

When their pursuers were momentarily out of sight, she, with her prisoner in one hand, flew down from their hiding place and landed silently on one of the horses. Now that she had found transportation, she was able to make her escape with her prisoner in tow.

* * *

Meanwhile Yuwen Yue and his second-in-command were both sweltering outside the city's southern gate waiting to take delivery of the hostage. It was already two hours after the team was expected to return with the goods and there was not a soul in sight. He was beginning to wonder if he shouldn't be sending out a search party or lead one himself.

After a time of deliberation he voiced he thoughts to his aide. "Frankly I don't like it. They should have been back before now. They can't have ventured that far into the woods."

"Miss Xing'er will be fine, Young Master," said Yue Qi attempting to be reassuring knowing what it was the young master was really worried about. While they were both preoccupied with scanning the horizon for any sign of the team, they caught sight of someone on a horse coming toward them at great speed from a distance.

"Look, there's someone on horseback coming this way. It's probably Miss Xing'er."

The young master frowned "On horseback? Didn't they…"

Before he could finish saying what he was thinking, the rider jumped off the horse and landed dexteriously beside them.

"Young Master!" It was a woman but not Xing'er.

"Meng Feng!"

"Where's Xing'er?"

"Hasn't she arrived? She left ahead of me."

Yuwen Yue's cheek muscles hardened and his face darkened. "Weren't you two together?"

"We were but we separated when a group of unknown hostiles were hot on our heels. I stayed behind to slow them down while she drove off in the carriage with Lin Ke. I engaged with the enemy and was able to immobilize them without much difficulty. As soon as that was over, I took one of the horses and rode back to the city."

"You didn't see Xing'er afterwards?"

"No, I didn't see any sign of the carriage while riding in this direction so I assumed that she had met up with the Xiuli men and was on her way here."

"The team of Xiuli men we sent out haven't returned either."

"Something's gone wrong."

"Young Master, should I send out a search party?" Yue Qi could sense the anxiety in the young master's voice.

Yuwen Yue was about to give the order when he espied that some distance away a troop of horses were headed towards the city. As they got closer, it became clearer that the lone horse that was slightly ahead was desperately trying to outrun the others. Yuwen Yue knew beyond a doubt that Xing'er was on that horse. For reasons that didn't bode well for her survival, she had been delayed. As soon as it struck him that Xing'er could be in serious strife, he leapt on to his mount without a second thought. She would, at the very least, be seriously outnumbered. Clearly, it was a race against time.

The moment he rode within a safe distance where he could survey the enemy, he received confirmation of his worse fears. Their opponents were swiftly catching up to Xing'er. He took his horse closer and pulled out his repeating crossbow with no hesitation, making quick work of the front row. As the bodies fell one by one, he deployed _qing gong,_ vaulting from one empty horseback to another to close in on the enemy.

As soon as the element of surprise was sprung, the hostile riders cottoned on to a shift in the pursuit dynamic and attempted to retaliate with their own crossbows. To dodge each one that flew his way, Yuwen Yue jumped mid-air to execute a series of somersaults, to drive back each arrow to where they came from. He achieved this in rapid succession with a series of well-timed kicks.

By this time, Yue Qi and Meng Feng had both caught up to where the young master was. He signaled for Meng Feng to provide Xing'er with cover especially along her right flank. An enemy rider who had broken with the rest of the group was racing towards Xing'er and closing in from the right. Seeing the peril at hand, Meng Feng let loose her chain and with a nicely calculated swing, wrapped it around the rider and flung him mercilessly to the ground. Yue Qi followed his young master's lead and deployed the crossbow before drawing his sword and confronting each rider as he rode past them.

Although the enemy was much diminished in number, there was still enough of them to do some damage before long. Much to Yuwen Yue's surprise and relief, the Xiuli men he had assigned for this task had finally caught up. Closing in on their opponents from the front and the back, they were able to eliminate the danger sooner rather than later.

Seeing that the threat had been expeditiously dealt with, Xing'er rode confidently back to the city with Meng Feng accompanying her all the way there.

* * *

"My Lady, I feel that I am to blame for putting you in jeopardy. I feel responsible for what happened earlier today. On hindsight I should have remained with you to protect you." Meng Feng looked uncomfortable as she examined the wound on Xing'er's shoulder and was gently tending it.

Xing'er winced slightly from the application of the ointment and then shook her head vigorously. "You were protecting me by slowing down the first group of pursuers but none of us, not even Yuwen Yue knew that there were other groups lying in wait."

"I promised the young master to protect you and I failed in that task. I'm sure he blames me." The former Afterlife member said meekly. She was looking shamefaced.

"I'm sure he doesn't. He's probably more angry that he wasn't there to protect me himself. I'll never hear the end of it." Xing'er broke into a grin.

"You are his woman of course and he would do anything for you, My Lady."

"It's fine, you don't have to keep calling me 'My Lady'. Such formalities are unnecessary. Besides, Yuwen Yue and I are not married." _Yet._

"But it's only a matter of time. Right now he only wants to be sure that all the threats – physical and political - are eliminated before he takes you as his wife. "

Xing'er was surprised at her comment and remarked, "You seem to understand him very well."

"Not especially but I have been working for him for many months now and he is very consistent in his approach especially when he sets about protecting people. I was tasked with guarding Prince Yuan Song when he was first sent to Yanbei and I saw first-hand how meticulous he was there."

"You know, Meng Feng, I envy you."

"In what way?" The former assassin looked up in surprise. The bandage around the shoulder joint was almost done.

"That you and the others were able to leave the Afterlife Camp behind and be part of Yuwen Yue's retinue." Xing'er hesitated. "I wish it had been that easy for me too. To walk away from that huge burden I was carrying. I… I have so many regrets where Yuwen Yue is concerned. I envy you all for being able to be a part of his mission when I couldn't. I couldn't see it at the time but it's what I left Wei over a year ago to do. To save lives, to protect innocent commoners. Yet I was in over my head… arrogant in believing that I could a change man, change his trajectory and change the world. I was too naïve. He was pitiful and my pity for him no doubt blinded me from the reality of what he had become."

Meng Feng was certain that Lady Xing'er was referring to Yan Xun but she did not probe. What happened between those two was not any of her business. But she was certain that Young Master Yue cared deeply about this woman enough to sacrifice himself for her repeatedly. As far as Meng Feng was concerned, that's all that mattered. After all, she had dedicated her life to doing his bidding from that fateful day when he saved her from a fate worse than death.

With his usual impeccable timing, the young master burst into the room and barked, "Leave us!"

While forceful, the words didn't come across as being particularly irate. His eyes went straight for the injured woman.

"Yes, Young Master," Meng Feng responded dutifully.

The two ladies nodded at each other before Meng Feng bowed respectfully at the gentleman. She walked out and closed the door behind her.

Xing'er got up suddenly and felt the wound smarting, "Yuwen Yue, don't be too hard on her. She was trying to protect me."

She felt a sharp pain shooting down her arm.

The young master appeared not to have heard anything as he sprinted towards the injured woman flinging his arms around her in desperation and relief.

"What am I going to do with you, you idiot?" He sounded quite exasperated, rocking her in his arms.

Before she could respond accordingly, he leaned over and brought her lips up close to meet his. The urgency in the way his lips led hers drew her into a mental space which compelled her to surrender to its ferocity. After what she'd been through, that space was a refuge… a release for unspoken fears. For him and for her.

When he finally let her go she could see his face racked with anxiety, "You will really be the death of me, Xing'er," he whispered hoarsely.

"I'm fine, Yuwen Yue. Really, I am."

"Good Heavens, Woman… are you going to be the only bride in the history of the Central Plains that has sustained injuries to every part of her body before her wedding day? Are you intending to limp battered and bruised all the way to the altar and then into the bridal chamber?"

"So says the man who put me through the world's most gruelling… most merciless training regime!"

"It was for your own good. It's probably why you're not dead right now. That reckless streak of yours needed to be reined in."

"You're making it sound like the whole thing was my fault!"

"It's your fault for insisting on going!"

 _And mine for agreeing to it._

"I was getting bored with being cooped up in the mansion!"

"I know… " Yuwen Yue paused momentarily and in a calmer tone voice he continued saying, "I just wish you didn't have a propensity for getting into trouble. I can't be everywhere at once."

"You don't have to be. I promise to be more careful in future," she tried to pacify him.

"If I had my way there wouldn't be any 'in future' but knowing you, it would be useless to insist."

"I swear that I will be in fine form on our wedding day."

"You'd better be."

* * *

A few days later, Xiao Yu, the princess of Liang was informed that she had a distinguished visitor from Liang.

 _Good. Finally. Someone to get me out of this rat hole._

An all-too familiar personage appeared cheerfully in front of her.

"Greetings, dear Sister, how are you holding up here? Not exactly luxurious conditions, is it?" Her wayward sibling announced brightly.

"Xiao… Brother! Why have you come?"

Xiao Ce wrinkled his nose, "What is that smell? I should have sent some servants ahead to sprinkle perfume around this place in preparation. Phew."

"Brother! Did Father send you? Have you come to get me out of here?"

Xiao Ce grinned mischievously. "I volunteered. Couldn't bear the thought of my dear sister wasting away in solitary confinement while I'm living in the lap of luxury. Father was too angry to make any rational decisions but I told him that since I've been on friendly terms with Wei in the past, I could come over and soothe things over with the folks here."

"Shouldn't Father have sent an army?"

"An army? Oh no. We're in no position right now to ruffle any feathers. As it is, I've had to bring over a written apology from Father to present to the court of Wei. He was going to throw you to the wolves, metaphorically speaking of course, but I managed to talk him out of it."

"I was lured into a trap!"

"Well, not according to Prince Xiang and Yuwen Yue. There's strong evidence linking you to spying activities aimed at destabilizing Wei."

"It's a lie!" The princess protested.

Xiao Ce took time to brush off some imaginary dust off his robe before replying. "That may be but the evidence is quite compelling. But what's really interesting is that there's evidence of you colluding with Yan Xun among Lin Fushu's personal effects. You can imagine that's caused quite a stir in the palace."

"I was…"

"Imagine what Yan Xun would think if he found out that you were indirectly responsible for the death of his entire family."

Xiao Yu affected a cry of remonstration. "Brother! You can't actually believe I would do something like that."

"It's not what I think that matters. We're not in Liang right now. Frankly this whole thing is quite tiresome and the smell of this place is giving me a horrible headache. I should get back to my room and have a lie down."

"Brother! Aren't you going to get me out of here?"

Xiao Ce cleared his throat and coughed politely, "Eventually, I suppose. Right now, I need a rest. Later on today I would like to visit an old friend. Never fear, Sister. I will be back tomorrow. Although I don't really know if you'd be happy going back to Liang either. Father is insisting on marrying you off to the Jurchens or some such thing."

"The Jurchens?!"

"I think so. Or is it the Khitans?" Xiao Ce had on his most pensive look. "Anyway, you're much better off here."

"Brother! You're not actually serious about leaving me in this gaol, are you?"

"You'll be fine… you'll be much safer here. Once word gets out that you were involved in the deaths of the Marquise and his family, every man and his dog who knew him will be after you."

"Brother! Xiao Ce!"

"Farewell, Sister… see you in the morning! I'll make sure you get a sumptuous evening meal. The cuisine here can't be much good for a princess."

On that note, Xiao Ce waltzed down the prison corridor and out of sight.

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

 _I suppose I'm as guilty as the next fanfic writer when it comes to fan servicing but this story has always been unabashedly the "Chu Qiao and Yuwen Yue Show". I make no apologies for that and while it might be hubris on my part, I think we've earned some currency to go overboard with XingYue love._

 _Until two days ago I was labouring under the misapprehension that PA was set during the Warring States era but now I find out that it was most likely set during the Northern and Southern dynasties period. (It does explain some odd things about place names) Yikes. On the research side of things, it's a positive thing and allows me greater historical latitude._

 _There's good news and there's bad news. The good news is that the corruption arc is just about done and there's more diabetic-inducing substances to come but the bad news is that I'm heading into a rather busy week with a number of commitments to fulfil, which means I have no idea when the next update will come. Don't be surprised if there's nothing for two weeks._

 _Can I say how impressed I am with this fandom? I've never written for such an appreciative audience before. Thank you all for following and commenting. Another shout out to everyone who has commented on Post-Mortem in recent days. I'm gratified to hear it has been an unerring source of post-viewing trauma therapy._


	12. Matrimony and Mayhem 1

In-Laws and Outlaws: Matrimony and Mayhem 1

* * *

The entire manor was decked out to the nines to reflect the festive mood. Some distance away the sounds of the firecrackers, drums and gongs reverberating for several miles heralded the approach of the bridal party. The bridegroom led the procession with his usual sombre demeanour. The general assumption shared by well-wishers was that this was the happiest day of the groom's life but if judged only by his countenance and not by the red apparel that he was draped in, he could quite as easily been striding towards the execution grounds. Grooms as a rule were generally not expected to be carrying weaponry on such occasions but this one from all appearance was taking no chances and had his favourite sword strapped to his back. His elders insisted that it was darkly inauspicious to be arming himself on such an auspicious occasion but he brushed them off brusquely as was now his custom. Praying for good fortune despite such defiance, his forbearing elders resigned themselves to the idiosyncrasies of their surviving scion with grudging admiration. His obstinacy though tiresome bordering on disrespectful at times was at least, they would console themselves, a demonstration that he was nobody's fool. His choices were his own and he owned their consequences. They came to the reluctant conclusion that it took a certain kind of bullish courage to break with long-standing tradition. Noting that the same courage had served him well on other fronts, it was too late in the day to complain about any kind of innate pigheadedness.

Closeted in the sedan chair hidden under the red veil held in place by an ornate headdress was the blushing bride completely out of her element. As the gongs and clangs reached her ears, she felt no different to a puppet dancing to someone else's tune in someone else's operatic strain. At the vehement insistence of the groom, she reluctantly allowed herself to be carted about in such fashion. He wanted the entire ceremony, with all its trappings, to be played out for the whole world to see despite all protestations on her part. All protestations inevitably fell on deaf ears. A noisy, public wedding was the last thing she had envisaged. The groom she wanted certainly but all the extraneous baggage that came with the accouterments for matrimony felt weighty, cumbersome and ostentatious. But the groom in a fit of moonstruck madness it seemed, was adamant that everyone in the proverbial village be invited and that the woman of his dreams be paraded like a show pony. On some level the show pony was relieved to be hidden in the sedan chair away from the glare of public scrutiny but she was desperately wishing that the advance to the ceremonial hall would be over and done with sooner rather than later. Nevertheless, despite the layers of discomfort and awkwardness she felt about the entire affair, the bride was secretly pleased that the groom had thrown all his energies into making all the fanfare a reality. In this instance she saw an equivalence between effort and heart. She, of course, would never openly admit that donning red would give her that much pleasure but the symbolism of the occasion was especially meaningful considering all the difficulties that they had to overcome to get to where they were. Nothing had come easily for them. It never seemed to be the right time. But the red gown, the veil and all the outward paraphernalia that marked the occasion was soon to be more than just a celebration of overcoming trials.

Days before the wedding, she had stood in front of the bridal robe for what seemed like hours, contemplating over it, letting the implications wash over her. Earlier on in life, matrimony had been merely an idea… a word… an intelligible sound formed by the air around them. However, with the dress hanging off the bedpost in its silken glory, the reality of what she was about to undertake began to seep into the recess of her mind. She… was embarking on a different journey… one that she had never dared imagine herself on. Marriage had been a foreign land… something that seemed inevitable for others. For her it had been out of reach and out of mind.

* * *

"So how are you, my dear Qiao Qiao? Is that man treating you well?"

The mercurial crown prince of Liang had stretched himself in leisurely fashion on the lawn beside the waterfall, making himself more than a little at home at Qing Shan Yuan. Setting aside key matters of state and all thoughts of his wayward sibling, he was basking in the warmth of the morning sun like the local lizards who had come out to play.

It was a month before the wedding and Xiao Ce was doing his rounds between the palace, prison, and pleasure houses. Not necessarily in that order with no assurance of any equal division of time amongst them. Despite his hectic schedule, he even found time to invite himself over to see an old friend.

"Wonderfully well," was the brief response.

He sat up and looked her over like a conscientious physician. "You seem cheerful enough. Well, if you change your mind, I'm here for another few days. I can take you back to Liang with me if things don't work out for you here. I could quite easily make you a noble consort if you find yourself unappreciated here. "

Qiao Qiao was trying desperately not to laugh. The man who was referred to obliquely was hovering over his woman like a loyal watchdog with an expression that could be said to be mildly homicidal. A noise that vaguely sounded like a growl escaped his lips that conveyed clear intentions. She turned to him and whispered something in his ear. He nodded and proceeded to walk away obediently.

Xiao Ce was grinning from ear to ear. "It's good to see that he trusts you enough to leave you alone with a man who is making a play for your affections."

"He has no reason whatsoever to be concerned." Chu Qiao smiled contentedly and then eyed him warily. "But seriously, why are you really here?"

"Believe it or not, I am really here to flirt with you. To win you over and take you back with me to Liang."

"I wasn't born yesterday, Xiao Ce," Chu Qiao clucked good-naturedly. "And I know you. You're up to something. You're always up to something."

"Seriously. I swear, I only have your interests at heart." The prince protested rather too much.

"Hmmmm…" The lady was decidedly unconvinced.

"Are you sure you're happy here? With that fuddy duddy? Living with him can't be much fun. He's so… serious and… colourless. I doubt he would know what fun means even if it hit him between the eyes."

"So you're here to save me from a life of dreariness?"

"Absolutely! I am here to woo your heart and bring joy to your world."

"Don't concern yourself too much. Like you, Xiao Ce… There are two sides to Yuwen Yue. There is the side which the whole world sees and then there's the other side that is kept hidden from it."

"Me? Two sides? What a joke! Don't compare me to that stick-in-the-mud."

"You two have far more in common than you think."

A groan flew out the prince's lips. "Please, don't insult me."

"Insult? It was a compliment."

"Please Qiao Qiao, you're breaking my heart."

Tickled by this obvious display of the dramatic, all the lady could do in response to that statement was break out into a fit of hearty laughter.

Meanwhile, on the other side of mansion the young master was receiving reports from his aide who had been making inquiries about their uninvited guest.

"Xiao Ce did pay a visit to Xiao Yu in prison before making his way here. It seemed that he didn't stay long. He hasn't made any attempts to secure her release so far."

"So I was right. They're political adversaries."

"Some of our people from Eyes of God say that she's been working for a very long time behind the scenes to replace him with her own birth brother."

The young master nodded slowly. "I had heard rumours of this years ago. Xiao Ce is the younger son after all."

"Why do you think he's really come to Qing Shan Yuan? Is it really to see Miss Xing'er?"

"It's certainly one of the reasons he's come here."

"If you don't mind me saying, he's rather a little too free with her."

"I imagine it's part of the game he plays to protect himself and his precarious position. But the concern and the affection for Xing'er is genuine, I believe."

"You don't see him as a threat?"

"Politically? I would never rule that out as a future possibility especially now that there's no marriage connection between our two countries. To some extent it suits the state of Liang to be the bystander in continuing hostilities between Wei and Yan Xun. Of course there are no guarantees that things will go in their favour. I suppose he could be taking the opportunity to spy out the landscape while he's here on a diplomatic mission. We do have access to the largest spy network in the land after all. As for whether he's a serious love rival, I don't think it even occurs to Xing'er that he could be the least bit serious about all his professions."

"But you didn't seem all that happy when he was flirting with her."

"No man with any kind of self-respect could be when another man encroaches into his territory and propositions his woman. I have to, at the very least, give the impression that I had taken offence. Otherwise Xing'er will think I don't care enough. "

"So it was an act?"

"Not entirely."

Although he wisely said nothing in response, inwardly Yue Qi was amused that his young master would openly admit to being susceptible to the foibles of mere mortals as the next man.

* * *

"So you're really going to marry that stick-in-the-mud?" Xiao Ce was nothing if not persistent.

"Stop calling him that. He's a good man."

"Ack! 'Good man' sounds incredibly boring. I can offer you so much more. Fun, frivolity, fashion."

"Fun, frivolity and fashion perhaps but I'd only be one among the numerous women in your harem. Nothing could be more uninteresting to me than having to sit around and wait for my turn with the crown prince. Besides, I've had enough of princes and their promises."

"Yeah, but so far they've only been revenge-taking princes. I'm different, I'm cheerful. You could easily become my favourite consort."

"You're not a bad fellow, Xiao Ce but the answer is still no. I really like Yuwen Yue and things are going well for us."

"Ack! You insist on ruining my well-earned reputation as a successful seducer of women and hurting my feelings with such language."

"You're a survivor Xiao Ce. You'll live."

"Such a cruel woman."

"Not as cruel as you are to that sister of yours. I'm surprised you left her in prison."

"Why did you have to bring her up? We were having such a lovely conversation before that."

"Says the man who called me a cruel woman."

"We may have the same father but she's no sister of mine."

"Yet another reason not to get involved with the heirs to thrones."

"I'll have you know that she started it first. She's been trying to kill me for years." Xiao Ce affected as much indignance as he was able to. "I'm an easy-going fellow for the most part. I don't show my teeth unless I have to."

"That's why I stand by what I said earlier. You and Yuwen Yue have a lot more in common than you realise."

"Does that stick-in-the-mud put up with all your insulting comments too?"

"Of course. I'm an insufferable woman to live with."

"He has my sympathies."

* * *

The corruption scandal that had rocked the nation of Wei sent the nobility reeling from the impact. It wasn't because recent revelations about the abduction of young girls for sexual exploitation gave offence to anyone's strongly held moral code or because the underbelly of corruption was horrifyingly systemic. The real reason behind their outrage was because actual names were given in connection with accusations of bribery, espionage and by extension treason… because the web of intrigue had form… there were faces attached to it and in some instances, it was very close to home. Too close to home for comfort in fact. Fearing the political repercussions, the Wang clan had secretly sent assassins to eliminate the "evidence" or anyone associated with any kind of evidence. That exercise which cost them a small fortune turned out to be an abject failure when they were quickly dispatched by Yuwen Yue and his band of misfits. In the final analysis, the true horror of the scandal for the nobles was the weakened power of the clans. It gave Prince Xiang the kind of political leverage not just to launch a criminal investigation into the misuse of government funds by high ranking officials but to keep the clans in check. He'd been handed the whip and he was resolved to wield it. The entire court peopled by realists knew that it was inevitable and cowered to his newfound authority. Their survival was on the line. Talk of impeaching Yuwen Yue died down to nary a whisper.

Lin Ke talked. In fact, he sang… for his supper… and to keep the head on his shoulders. The manager of the silk facility's tongue wagged incessantly when he knew that the evidence against his culpability was irrefutable. He implicated all the known culprits and a few unknown accomplices in so far as his life depended on it. The result was that heads fell under the hand of the executioner's blade while he managed to keep his on the condition that he spend his remaining days in the cholera-afflicted refugee camp.

His Royal Highness meant for the executions to serve as a warning to those who would resist. Politically he had to tread carefully. It was prudent on his part not to push the nobles too far. Despite the temptation to come down hard, he gave the families some breathing room while targeting specific individuals mentioned in Lin Fushu's ledger. Depending on the severity of their crimes, they were given options to keep their wealth in exchange for supporting reforms regarding the indiscriminate abduction of girls to be used as sex slaves. They were also encouraged to donate generously to the relief effort in exchange for immunity from widespread prosecution of entire families. There was no other recourse. The emperor was very frail and at death's door and there was someone else calling the shots.

True to the terms of their earlier negotiation, Prince Xiang pardoned a certain Miss Chu and her ever-loyal band of Xiuli men in very public fashion. His rationale was that they had rendered great service to the country by helping uncover a spy ring as undercover agents. He did, however, insist on certain provisos. The Xiuli battalion had to be disbanded and absorbed anonymously into other defence units. They were also given the option to return to Yanbei to help Yuan Song with the rebuilding there or to continue serving under the auspices of the Eyes of God under Yuwen Yue. Some, with surviving families back in Yanbei elected to go and others chose to remain in Wei as Eyes of God assets.

As promised, he compensated the two surviving girls, Xiao Le and Shui Zhu, with gold and dowry confiscated from Lin Fushu's plunder.

* * *

They watched Xiao Ce amble jauntily into his mode of transportation and waved cheerfully goodbye to them before slouching lazily into his seat.

"So what did he want?" The young master of the mansion asked as they watch the back of the carriage disappear down the driveway.

Chu Qiao responded with a faint look of amusement. "Not much. Nothing more than what you heard him say. He repeated his offer to take me back to Liang and make me his noble consort. I doubt that he was in earnest."

"I disagree. I think he was," was the stoic response.

The lady looked at her man some degree of relish. "You don't need to be worried… or jealous… He is just being playful…."

"… and very concerned. It's as if he knows something of importance but is unsure about what part he should play." The young master interjected quickly.

The lady shook her head knowingly. "Jealousy is causing your imagination to be over active."

"I hope that's all it is." The young master seemed to be maintaining his composure admirably.

"Why? Did he say something to you?" Her curiosity was piqued.

The young master took his time before putting his thoughts into words. "He said a number of things… desultory, apparently meaningless things… and asked about the architecture, the furnishings… while scanning the hall and the study with great interest."

"Really? Maybe he's just interested in buildings."

"Perhaps. But he didn't come across to me as someone who was asking as a mere enthusiast. It felt purposeful, deliberate and specific. It was as if he was surveying the mansion to see how safe or secure it is."

As the light dawned, Chu Qiao's eyes grew rounder than usual. "Are you suggesting that he's planning to break in?"

The young master shook his head. "Not necessarily him but someone else might be."

"But why? What do you mean someone else? Yuwen Yue, aren't you just letting your jealousy get the better of you?"

"If only that was it." The young master remarked, deep in thought.

"What do you mean by 'someone else'? He's hired someone to break into this place?"

"I don't think so. Otherwise he wouldn't have been so obvious about it."

"Then…"

"I think he was trying to tell me… us… something."

"That we're about to be burgled?"

"That's the part I'm not sure about."

"Do you think it has anything to do with Xiao Yu?"

Yuwen Yue gave it some thought before saying, "It could I suppose but she's in gaol right now and he's the only person she's seen."

"Maybe she told him something."

"Maybe… but if she had, I'm sure he would have came right out and said it. They're not especially on good terms so if she's hatching something he would like nothing better than another reason to get her into more trouble. Besides if she were really up to something, he'd be the last person she'd confide in. My guess is that he doesn't quite know himself. He's expecting something undoubtedly but he's not sure."

"Why act all mysterious? Why not just say what the issue is?"

"Don't know. But Xiao Ce likes to play things close to his chest and perhaps he's torn between his own interests and his affection for you."

"Honestly I don't think he cares that much for me. It's all a game to him."

"Not where you're concerned."

* * *

The conversation with Yuwen Yue left her with plenty of food for thought. Knowing him and knowing that he wasn't given to fanciful notions no matter what his feelings happen to be, much what he said made sense to her as she attempted to reconstruct her earlier conversation with Xiao Ce especially when trying to recall the manner in which he spoke to her. Yuwen Yue was right, Xiao Ce was definitely up to something. Her immediate thought was to march to the palace and put the question to him. If Yuwen Yue was right and Xiao Ce was truly concerned for her safety, it would be better for her to ask him herself. However it also occurred to her that Xiao Ce might in all probability not give her a straight answer. Her next thought was confronting Xiao Yu in the hope that she might have the answers. It was time that the two of them had a nice long chat anyway. Hence, the intrepid Miss Chu on the pretext that she was taking Xiao Le and Shui Zhu to the merchant district to purchase new clothing, left the manor and headed discreetly for the palace prison.

As far as the girls were concerned, there was no pretext. Once the girls saw the goods that were on offer they dashed excitedly from stall to stall picking out ribbons, accessories and toys for Xiao Le's siblings. Chu Qiao smiled contentedly watching them in this carefree state. It was good to see them happy and able to enjoy just being young women without the burden of the past weighing heavily on them. When all that was done, they dragged her to a dress shop, which claimed to have all the latest styles available. It never occurred to her until then that what she was wearing though adequate was rather plain especially when compared to the gorgeous array of colours and designs that were displayed all around the shop. The girls insisted that she pick something as a present. Chu Qiao protested and said that she could afford to buy her own clothing. But the girls wouldn't hear of it informing her in no uncertain terms that they wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. In the end pester power won the day and she was cajoled into accepting a gift. The gift however had to be selected and tried on first. This meant that the younger women could take gleeful pleasure in dressing up their "Big Sister" in a whole range of outfits. To her own great surprise, Chu Qiao got into the spirit of things and found enjoyment in the experience of being put into pretty clothes. It felt like she tried everything in the shop but in the end she chose a lovely yellow ensemble that flattered her petite figure. She wasn't able to suppress a blush when the younger women mischievously informed her that Young Master Yue wouldn't be able to take his eyes off her once he saw her in it.

After procuring some new apparel, the young women wandered into a nearby inn, which was a known favourite among wealthier clientele, to indulge in some local delicacies. Spending money, it seemed, was hungry work. An eager waiter ushered them to a seat by the window and saw to it that they were comfortably settled before asking them for their order. The women asked to be served the local tea and steamed _dian xin_ to replenish whatever energy they had spent in the shops.

Xiao Le expressed her awe at witnessing the hive of activity. "Sister, this place seems to be very popular. It's full of people coming and going all the time."

"I've never been here myself." _Have I ever had the time?_

"Something here smells wonderful." Shui Zhu commented as the surrounding aroma filled her nostrils. "I never thought I would ever be able to come to a place like this."

Chu Qiao nodded. She too had never given thought to such luxuries in her bid for constant survival. She ate to live and was satisfied with that. Any more than that was pure extravagance. One had to be in a single place long enough to have such long-term material aspirations beyond mere survival.

When the food arrived, the young women devoured the sumptuous offerings with gusto. Every bite was accompanied by exclamations of delight, each bite seemingly better than the one before. Xiao Le, the talkative one, made the remark that she had only heard about food like that and wondered how a person could learn to make food that could transcend words.

The waiter that served them came to clean up after they were done. Xiao Le reached into her money pouch to pay but was stopped by the waiter.

"It's on the house, Miss."

The girls looked up in surprise.

"Really? Why?"

"The owner wants to thank Miss Chu here. We all know what she did to help take down Lin Fushu's cabal."

"There's no need. It was the right thing to do but what did Lin Fushu do to him?"

"We lost a couple of women from Yanbei who were working here. When the owner tried to report them missing, he was stonewalled and then he received death threats not long afterwards."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"There are a lot of business owners who were happy to hear about that man's death… and now that his operation has been blown wide open, it's even better."

"I had no idea."

"If you ask around and dig deep enough, you'll hear many more stories about missing working girls. People won't talk to the officials but they will talk to you."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"The owner wants you to know that you're welcome anytime. You and Young Master Yue."

"Thank you."

As Chu Qiao walked out of the eating establishment, thankful for the encounter, the possibility struck her that due to their involvement in anti-corruption activities, Xiao Ce could have been trying to warn them of revenge attacks by anyone who had been touched by the events surrounding its unravelling. If there were those who were glad to be free from the criminal elements, likewise there had to be others who were disgruntled at being severed from the teat of bribery and corruption.

While she was musing over the possible fallout from her involvement in dismantling a major criminal enterprise, she failed to notice a young boy about ten years old, covered in ragged attire, running in their direction. From the perspective of onlookers, he seemed to be weaving speedily along the main thoroughfare, looking behind his shoulders as if he was the object of some kind of pursuit. Before she was aware of what was happening, the boy ran straight into her and they both fell onto the ground with a thud.

Just as she was dusting off, a voice boomed out of nowhere.

"Stop that child!"

A large man appeared on the scene with a large cleaver in his right hand brandished in a menacing fashion.

Chu Qiao recovered at once and instinctively shielded the boy. "He's just a child. What has he done?"

"He has stolen food."

Chu Qiao glanced at the boy, noted his overall appearance and was immediately on the offensive. "Even so, there's no need to be hostile and resort to violence."

The large man grunted like a raging bull. "I don't care how old they are. If they can't afford to pay they shouldn't touch my stuff."

"It's just a few items…"

The man's exasperation had reached its limit and he launched into a tirade. "He's not the only one. It's not an isolated incident. There are more and more of them every day. These children are destroying my business and I can't maintain the loss long-term. I have a family and children too."

Chu Qiao nodded and reached into her robe for her purse. "Alright," she said as she pulled it out and took out a few silver ingots. "Is this enough?"

"One silver ingot will do." The man conceded. "But you can't keep doing this, Miss. You can't help them all. You'll go broke. There are just too many mouths to feed."

"Why are there so many of them?"

"Most of them are flood refugees. They've lost their parents. There's no one taking care of them so they're running amok."

"The flood relief…"

"Hasn't been getting out to them quickly enough. Some of them are cholera orphans."

"I understand. I will take care of the boy."

"You can't take care of all of them, Miss."

"Where can most of them be found?"

"Near the northern gate and the place where the cholera patients are being quarrantined."

"I know where that is. I've been there before."

"Then you should know Miss that that's no place for anyone much less a lady like yourself."

* * *

"Miss, you are not allowed in here. We have strict orders to maintain quarantine."

Several guards were posted at the entrance of the refugee shelter to prevent people from coming or going.

"I am Chu Qiao, Prince Xiang can vouch for me personally."

"I have heard of you Miss Chu but right now, even if His Highness were here, he would be prevented from entering."

"It's a matter of urgency. I found this boy in the southern district and his family might be in here."

"That could be the case but there's no way of proving that right now."

"Surely there must be somewhere to take him to?"

"We are in the process of finding a location…"

"These children are running around looking for food. Relief is needed and they're not getting to the people who need it most.

"We're doing our best. Our human resources are being stretched to the limit, Miss."

Before she could say another word, the guard turned away and walked back to his post. Apparently he had decided that he'd said enough.

Chu Qiao sighed. The relief effort was moving rather slowly but she understood why. She didn't feel right abandoning the boy after taking responsibility for him thus far. As she was wondering what her next course of action should be, she heard someone saying behind her.

"Things haven't been easy. They are making progress though."

Chu Qiao swung around and saw that a bearded man in his late forties had spoken. He had a noble demeanour that spoke of untold experiences. He'd been witness to her conversation with the guard and saw her frustration.

"There are many like that boy who have wandered outside the refugee camp… all wanting to know what's happened to their parents."

She clenched her fist and felt the anger building up inside her. "It's abject failure on the part of the officials. If these people had received relief sooner, none of this would have happened."

"It's true that when officials are incompetent, it's the commoners that suffer the most. It's hard to believe that something like that could have happened right at the door step of the royal family."

"You must be new around here, Uncle. It isn't just incompetence. There's been systemic corruption brewing in Chang'an for a long time."

"I've been away from Chang'an for many years now. I've been living at the border."

"What brings you to Chang'an, Mr…?"

"Xuan. My son lives here and I'm here to visit him."

"You've definitely chosen an interesting time to be in Chang'an."

"Apparently." The man smiled. "I hear that Prince Xiang is a good man and he's doing something to clean up corruption here."

"Well, he's alright I suppose." The lady acknowledged grudgingly. "But he's had help."

"You seem to know something about it, Miss…?" The serious look on Mr Xuan's face transformed into something more amiable and warmer.

"Chu. Chu Qiao." She paused a moment before adding, "Just a little. Clearly, to be able to bring down an organization of this scale requires the efforts of more than one person."

"Undoubtedly."

"But looking at these children… homeless and perhaps orphaned… it feels like the clean up has only just begun."

"As you've said, one person cannot do everything."

"But I must do something. I can't leave them here to fend for themselves and resort to stealing."

"Are you thinking of taking them home?"

"Yes," She said briefly, "My fiancé will probably not be too happy but he will let it slide in the end. He may even have a longer term solution. If there's anyone who has any ideas, it will be him. Not too sure about his grandfather though."

"Your fiancé? You live with your fiancé?"

"It's a complicated situation but I have no family of my own."

"I see." The man stroked his heard and scanned the ragamuffins that had gathered around this unusual woman. "There must be about twenty children here. It will be difficult for you to handle them on your own."

"It's fine. Xiao Le and Shui Zhu here can help me."

"What about I come along with you and help you manage these children?"

Chu Qiao hesitated. "How can I trouble a stranger?"

"It's no trouble at all."

"Aren't you on your way to visit your son, Mr Xuan?"

"There's plenty of time for that. I'll be in the city for at least a month and I'm interested to see how much the city has changed since I left almost ten years ago. Meanwhile, Miss Chu, you can tell me more about the corruption scandal that everyone's talking about."

Chu Qiao was of two minds in this instance. She couldn't be sure of this man's intentions although he seemed genuinely keen to help. With all that had been going on, she couldn't be too cautious. Yet there something about his manner that seemed familiar and trustworthy. At least that's what her instincts seemed to be telling her. Though dressed like a famer, he had the air of a military man… of someone who was a leader.

"What did you do at the border?"

"All kinds of things. Farming, hunting. I was in the military most of my life."

"I thought as much."

"Were you in the military too, Miss Chu?"

"Yes, for a time."

"Is that how you met your fiancé?"

"I met him much earlier but the last time we met on the battlefield brought us back together again."

"You seem to have an unusual story for a young woman your age."

"You have no idea."

"Try me."

* * *

As a semi-large procession of individuals headed for the hill that led to Qing Shan Yuan, the young master of the manor was alerted to the fact that Miss Xing'er had managed to find a new troop of strays, comprised primarily of children, to adopt and was on her way back to Qing Shan Yuan. He heaved a sigh of relief and a faint expression of amusement was dancing on his lips. It didn't take long for Xing'er to tumble into yet another misadventure, but this was preferable to her being exposed yet again to physical injury. Immediately he dropped the report he was reading and went to meet them at the main entrance quite prepared to play the role of the exasperated, long-suffering fiancé.

When Chu Qiao spotted him closer to home, she waved cheerfully only to be greeted by a stony expression that left her feeling cold and awkward. Her heart sank. Considering the imposition, she wasn't expecting a warm reception but that reaction was even worse than she had expected. His displeasure was going to make a difficult situation more uncomfortable particularly as she had allowed a strange, albeit older man, to tag along with them. Still it was up to her to make the best of it and alleviate the tensions that she believed had developed between them.

Soon they were all standing at the main gate unsure of what the next step should be as they saw the young master approaching them.

"So this is where you live, Miss Chu?" Mr Xuan asked.

"Yes."

"And that is your fiancé standing over there?"

"Yes. Let me make the introductions." _He doesn't seem to be in the best mood for niceties._

"I would appreciate that very much."

As he gradually closed the distance between them, Yuwen Yue noticed that the older man standing with Xing'er had a familiar aura about him and wondered where she picked him up from. His first remark to her was calculated to be adversarial.

"I thought you were going shopping. Did you end up buying slaves too?"

"Yuwen Yue! I…"

Before she could introduce the older man to the younger, the two men made eye contact with each other. As soon as their eyes met, the expression on Yuwen Yue's face changed completely from one of feigned austerity to utter disbelief. He gasped and a single word left his lips.

"Father!"

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

 _Yeah, I apologize for being so late to update but I got sick on top of all the other stuff that I'd warned everyone about. It was rather disappointing coming down with this head cold as it meant having to forego meeting a friend who's battling advanced stage lung cancer. Anyway, I needed the break from writing, it did me a lot of good even if it meant being behind in my imaginary schedule._

 _All being well, I intend to finish this story by the end of October. After that it's the pre-Christmas frenzy._

 _While singing Billy Hill's 1936 song, "The Glory of Love" for a friend's 70_ _th_ _birthday party, I was reminded me of XingYue, especially in the first and third stanzas:_

 _You've got to give a little, take a little_

 _And let your poor heart break a little_

 _That's the story of, that's the glory of love_

 _You've got to win a little, lose a little_

 _And always have the blues a little_

 _That's the story of, that's the glory of love._


	13. Matrimony and Mayhem 2

In-Laws and Outlaws: Matrimony and Mayhem 2

 _A/N: Yes, as many of you have intimated, this chapter will contain an exploration of Yuwen Yue's daddy (and mummy) issues but hopefully there will be enough XingYue to satisfy even the most voracious appetites._

"Using order to deal with the disorderly, using calm to deal with the clamorous, is mastering the heart" - Sun Zi, "Armed Struggle" in _The Art of War_ (Trans: Thomas Cleary)

* * *

The bride stuck her veiled head out from the sedan chair conscious of all eyes on her. In the background, firecrackers were let off to mark the occasion. Disembarking with practiced dignity, she put one foot on the red carpet laid to usher her into the groom's household and then she placed the other foot carefully next to it. It was a long way from when she first entered the manor as a slave desperately trying to keep her head above the water… trying to find a way to protect her frightened siblings. It felt like eons ago when her self-righteous, defiant self wanted to lash out at the world, change it and cleanse it. Instead the world at large had changed her and reshaped her thinking, although the flame that burnt brightly for freedom would never be snuffed out. No longer a slave, she was now someone's bride… soon to be someone's wife beginning the journey of forging a family of her own. Each small stride she took towards the family altar reminded her of all the choices she'd made leading her to that moment. Images of men, women and children flashed across her mind. People, places and names. Memories of her mother flooded her mind leading her to wonder if the legendary wielder of Feng Yun Ling was watching from the afterlife with disapproval on seeing her only daughter joining hands with the successor of their greatest adversary. Life was full of ironies and to end up at Qing Shan Yuan as its future mistress would be the biggest one of them all. A fact that was brought into sharp relief by the presence of the groom's household, dressed to the nines, waiting to receive her.

Concerned that the red flowing robe would catch fire, she gingerly stepped over the lit stove and crossed over the threshold into the great hall. The ritual was a long-held tradition to ward away evil. Its effectiveness in this context would only be proven with the passage of time. For her it signalled a new start to a new life. She was no stranger to the centre of the manor after all. The celebratory trappings all around her signalled her re-entry into Qing Shan Yuan now no longer tethered to the baggage of the past. The slave who became a spy who became a rebel who became a general was reinventing herself yet again.

As the groom watched the bride cross the threshold, a wide smile replaced the normally grave expression that was his trademark. For him, the occasion was a long time in coming. His patience had been rewarded and it felt right that he should savour every single moment. Every step she took, every little of gesture she made while cloaked in triumphant red would be carved deeply into his mind for posterity. The happiness that he felt coursed through every fibre, every vein in his body. Once or twice his feelings threatened to bubble over but ever the master of himself, the smile he showed the world would be the only clue the groom would offer as evidence of his true feelings.

The wedding ceremony was simple in spite of the elaborate preparations that went into everything else. The bride and the bridegroom were a united front at the family altar paying tribute to Heaven and ancestors with solemn oaths and respectful bows. They then approached their elders kowtowing respectfully and serving lotus seed tea to each in attendance. Afterwards the newly acknowledged couple faced each other and bowed. Even through the veil the bride could see the obvious smile on the groom's face for the first time on that day and it hit home what all of this meant to him.

* * *

 _A month earlier…_

It was a moment gradually reaching boiling point. On the surface, father and son were sitting in the great hall sipping tea with the greatest civility but tensions were threatening to boil over as the silence in the room became more pronounced. Even the normally brave Miss Chu who had prepared the tea and served it knew that it was safer to stay out of the emotionally charged atmosphere when she saw the obvious hardening in the son's demeanour and heard the iciness slipping into his speech during the initial introductions. She came rapidly to the conclusion that this was no joyous reunion. Tensions were so thick that one could slice and dice the atmosphere with a sword. Father and son were proverbially circling each other, warily eyeballing each other as they peered surreptitiously above the teacup. A hundred thoughts and questions passed through Yuwen Yue's agile mind about the sudden appearance of the man he had not seen in over a decade. The bitterness raked up by past reminisces added to his recalcitrance. There was no way he was keeping up appearances for its own sake. As his reluctance to speak became more evident, it was left to his father to break the ice.

"Yue'er, aren't you going to say what's on your mind?

"Why are you here?" The son demanded pouncing immediately on the 500 pound buffalo in the room.

"My son sends me a polite but cold letter to say that he's getting married. He doesn't request my presence. My curiosity is aroused."

"Why didn't you inform us that you were coming?"

"This is why I didn't. Can you blame me? I anticipated the hostile reception."

"Well, you haven't made things better by appearing out of the nowhere without any warning."

"I concede that it was perhaps somewhat impulsive of me. But a father wanting to see his son… is that so terrible?"

"I'm surprised you remember that you have a son." The young master blurted with a vindictive streak not often on display.

Yuwen Xuan put his teacup down and sighed. "Must we do this, Yue'er?"

"Do what?"

The father stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Play this game of hide and seek. You're a grown man. There's no need for this petulance and sniping. I am here to see you and meet your future bride."

This plea for civility went unheeded. Sitting in the same room with his father brought to the surface all kinds unresolved resentments, Young Master Yue was on the offensive and he wasn't backing down any time soon.

"You've met her, under false pretences I might add, and you've seen me. We are well. We've had tea. You are not obliged to remain and I have no expectations of you."

"Let's talk as one adult man to another. Let's forget for one moment that I'm your father since that seems to be a sticking point. I know you don't care much for traditions or about what I think regarding marriage but I am still an elder of this family…"

"Who has kept his distance all these years… who cares more about his profession than his family. Why bother bringing up talk about the impending nuptials?"

"Then why did you even bother with sending me a letter?"

"Because grandfather said I should… because I don't want anyone to think I'm ashamed of Xing'er because I'm not. But I didn't think you'd actually care enough to make an appearance."

"I can see that she means the world to you." The father nodded, ignoring the obvious jibe. "So much so that you would set aside family obligations, sacrifice everything to protect her at whatever the cost to yourself and to this family."

"If you think that you can come here and forbid this marriage, think again."

The father continued with his train of thought as if he hadn't heard his son's accusation. "A man's occupation is his life. He is nothing without his achievements."

Yuwen Xuan said this as if he was stating a fact, neither angrily nor haughtily.

His son threw back a retort. "His achievements and accolades are worthless if there's no one to share it with. If he returns from battling the world outside to an empty mansion, what use is it?"

The father stayed the course and was steadfast in his defence of his position. "Isn't protecting one's country a great virtue? Protecting the commoners? The sage Meng Zi extolled the importance of the common people, for those in authority to direct their resources into serving the people, to take responsibility for their welfare. Jia Lin in his commentary to Master Sun's _Art of War_ said… 'The strength or weakness of a country depends on its generals. If the generals help the leadership and are thoroughly capable, then the country will be strong'."

The son took up the gauntlet."Didn't Kong Zi and Meng Zi promote the idea of the state modeled after the family unit? Doesn't that assume that the family is of vital importance to the stability of a society? If a man can't look after his own family, how can he model the ideal to anyone else? This is what's wrong with this country. The people in it have no real leadership because the ruler does not reflect benevolent paternalism. The microcosm has no model and the macrocosm doesn't lead virtuously."

"And you believe this woman, Chu Qiao, is the right person to help you build this ideal family that you speak of?"

This question struck a chord with the young master, temporarily diffusing his combative defensiveness. He thought a moment before simply saying, "Yes, I do."

"Despite her past, her background and your status… you think that is possible?"

"Yes."

"Why is that?"

"Because we have shared purpose… because I… need her."

"So you approach this relationship from the starting point of dependence and vulnerability?"

"What is wrong with that? We are no longer at war with each other. We have shared life and death together. We have been tested in our vulnerable moments. We love each other."

With unfaltering equanimity the father continued his line of questioning, "What is love? What makes it so special that a man should set aside hundreds of years of tradition to become a mode of operation?"

There was a pause before the young master continued. "Zhang Yu, in his commentary to _Art of War_ says that adaptation means not clinging to fixed methods, but changing appropriately according to events, acting as is suitable."

"Are you saying that you're adapting?"

"I am."

"What are you adapting to?"

"These are dangerous times. We're in a constant state of uncertainty with our neighbouring states. It remains to be seen if Liang can be trusted to act in mutual interest to keep the peace. Who knows when we might go to war next? I need a woman who can keep up with me… someone who can manoeuvre through these uncertain times and protect our family."

"And where does love feature in this overall scheme?"

"It reminds me of my priorities and it moves me to act."

"'Master Sun said that 'those who love people can be troubled.'"

"He also said: 'The rule of military operations is not to count on opponents not coming, but to rely on having ways of dealing with them; not to count on opponents not attacking, but to rely on having what cannot be attacked.'"

"You seem adamant on this course of action."

"Of course."

"Is there nothing I can say to you to make you change your mind?"

"Nothing whatsoever." The young master said firmly.

"Fine. I will now retire to my room until the evening meal. Be sure that Miss Chu Qiao dines with us. I don't imagine we'll have too many opportunities to have meals together in future."

The young master who was seldom taken by surprise was noticeably puzzled by how the discourse ended. "Is that it? Is that all you're going to say? Aren't you going to stop this wedding?"

"Should I? Do you want me to?"

"No… of course not."

For the first time in the entire exchange, Young Master Yue was at a loss for words. Was this some kind of trick? Was Father trying to lure him into a false sense of security and then trap him into saying something that would reveal some weakness? He felt like a schoolboy all over again reciting his lessons. It was as if he had undergone some kind of test… But what was it?

He recovered soon enough to phrase the question differently. "So you're not going to prevent marriage from going ahead?"

"I don't feel the need to."

"You… don't… feel… the need…?" The young master echoed a little bewildered.

"You're an adult now. You can think for yourself. I trust your judgment. I always have"

"Then why did you come?" The son grew suspicious.

"Do I have to repeat myself? You already have a parrot living here, don't you?" The father remarked, doing a quick scan of the room. "That bird seems unusually quiet."

"Why?"

"Believe it or not, I came to see you, Yue'er… and acquaint myself with your future bride. My future daughter-in-law. "

"You don't object to the match?"

"Is it important that I do or don't? I didn't think you cared what I thought."

"I don't. But…"

"I like her."

Yuwen Yue was too surprised to answer. Taking the silence to mean the conversation had come to an end, his father got up and quietly made his way out of the great hall.

* * *

That evening three generations of the Yuwen family sat down to a largely silent meal. Yuwen Yue said almost nothing except in monosyllabic responses to questions specifically directed at him. He chewed slowly, listened intently but spoke only when spoken to. The earlier hostility and defensiveness had all but left him. He was still wary but witnessing his father's and grandfather's cordial attitude towards Xing'er did score them points in his mind. She became the centre of conversation and interest. It added to the atmosphere that she was appareled in her new yellow outfit believing that the occasion warranted such a strategic move. At the back of his mind Yuwen Yue thought she never looked lovelier. The elders commended her on the tea and politely asked her about the dishes that she and Xiao Le made. Eventually the subject of conversation shifted to the homeless children that Xing'er brought back with her. Whether it was out of sheer courtesy or genuine interest, the Great General raised the subject.

"It was a good idea of Yue'er to have the children domiciled in Hong Shan Yuan while the situation at the refugee camp is being resolved. How are they doing?"

Xing'er had the notion that she was on display and acted accordingly. "Quite well, a few of the Yue guards and the former Xiuli men have been deployed to help out there. At least the children are being fed and clothed, rather than wandering the streets in town causing problems for the hawkers and pedestrians."

"That's good. It might also be efficacious if we bring in a physician to examine them. Who knows what illnesses they might have picked up while wandering around or what injuries they've sustained without any parental supervision?"

"It's a good idea. I'll see to it afterwards"

"Let me know if there's anything else you need."

"Thank you, sir but Young Master Yue has already seen to everything."

"Of course he has. Yue'er is nothing but efficient. He thinks of _everything_."

The last part of the great general's comments was pointed. There was an edge to it as if there was another layer to his remarks. Xing'er wasn't sure if it was directed at her or Yuwen Yue specifically or if something else was going on. It wasn't said with any sense of irony but with confident emphasis. The comment did not go unnoticed by the son whose ears had pricked up. Whether it was meant as a compliment or some kind of coded message to Xing'er, Yuwen Xuan had managed to get everyone thinking.

Yuwen Zhuo was secretly astonished that Xuan Zi wasn't more opposed to Xing'er but he was pleased and mostly relieved that everyone was trying to maintain a semblance of tenuous familial harmony. For a man in his advancing years, despite all his earlier misgivings about Yue'er's recent choices, seeing his family having a meal together did his heart good. It was a rare moment that he appreciated being a part of.

When Yuwen Xuan emptied his bowl of the last grain of rice, he turned to Xing'er and said,

"Miss Chu, would you mind making more of that excellent tea you brew and bring it to my quarters later?"

Xing'er nodded and took it as a sign that the great general wanted to talk to her alone. "Would you like snacks with it too?"

"No, no… just the tea is fine."

Yuwen Yue was about to mutter something about Xing'er not being anybody's maid but thought better of it. Despite his continuing simmering antagonism towards his father, it was also evident that his father's attitude towards Xing'er wasn't in any way supercilious. In fact, from all appearances, he really did seem, as he claimed, quite amenable to his son's choice of a future wife.

The meal came to an end when Yue Qi walked in to report a matter of urgency to the young master. The young master got up, bowed respectfully at his elders before heading out to his study.

* * *

Yue Qi was the first to speak. "There's been a sighting of Yan Xun in a village outside Meilin Pass. He is reported to have sustained injuries."

"Has that been confirmed by other local sources and assets?"

"Not yet but it's my opinion that we have to take that potential threat seriously."

"Of course. Any information on how he sustained his injuries?"

"That hasn't been ascertained."

Yue Qi waited for a reaction from the young master who had quietly positioned himself behind his desk deep in thought. It would be some time before Yuwen Yue spoke again.

"Interesting…"

"What is it, Young Master?"

"I'm not sure. It is an intriguing coincidence that Xiao Ce was here this morning rambling on about wanting to take Xing'er back to Liang and babbling on about the structural integrity of the mansion."

"Do you think he knows that Yan Xun is making a comeback?"

"We don't know as yet that Yan Xun is making a comeback. He suffered a major setback only a few more months ago. It will take a while before he is able to recruit and mobilize enough troops to launch an offensive. However I wouldn't put it past him to try and create mischief and cause unrest."

"So Xiao Ce knows something."

"More than likely."

"So why didn't he tell us?"

"He's a shrewd operator despite making a big show at being a philanderer. He undoubtedly has his own fish he wants fried. Whatever his game is, we're his chess pieces. Yan Xun included."

"Should we continue tailing him?"

"Don't we have people everywhere?"

"Depends what you mean."

"The pleasure houses. He spends a lot of time there I hear."

* * *

At another part of the manor there was a knock on the door and a voice from inside the room called out in reply.

"Please come in, Miss Chu,"

The great general was sitting at the table in the middle of the room expectantly.

"Please sit down and share some of this tea with me," he invited warmly.

Xing'er placed the tray on the table and found a seat across the table. The thought struck her that she was being assessed for suitability as a future daughter-in-law.

As if he reading her thoughts he said, "Let me assure you that this is not a test, Miss Chu. You're just having tea with an old man and maybe if it suits your fancy, we can have a chat."

"You're not that old, General. You command an army of thousands and your exploits on the battlefield are renown. You are a divine warrior for having successfully protected this country for decades."

"Is that what Yue'er said?" The general lifted the teacup to his lips.

"Well… er…" The lady hesitated.

"It's alright, he's not here and you can be honest. I can handle the truth."

"Well, General sir, to be honest, Yuwen Yue has never talked about you in front of me."

"I can't say I'm all that surprised. Although I am his father, it was his grandfather who raised him. I was away throughout his growing years. In a real enough way, my son and I are mere acquaintances related by blood."

This was a rare opening for Xing'er to pose a burning question and she went for it.

"General, may I ask you a question?"

Yuwen Xuan nodded. "Of course."

"Why didn't you tell me who you were outside the refugee camp? You did know who I was, right? You must have heard me introduce myself to the guard."

"I did."

"So why didn't you…"

"I was curious about you. I wanted to know what sort of woman would cause my son to act so out of character… to set aside his ingrained sense of duty to family and country."

The lady lowered her voice and looked shamefaced. "You must be disappointed. Everyone had such high expectations for him."

"A little surprised perhaps but no… not disappointed." The general continued sipping his tea.

"You're too kind, General. After all you've heard about my past, it must be a bitter pill to swallow. That your son would condescend…"

"I am a military man, Miss Chu. While I may be an offspring of a noble family, I am first and foremost, a soldier. I never wanted Yue'er to follow in my footsteps which is why I allowed him to be adopted by his grandfather so that his talents would be better utilized elsewhere. You have been a soldier too, Miss Chu and I'm sure you understand where I'm coming from. Despite what most people think, the military is one of the most meritocratic places a man can be. Sure there's rank and there are orders that have to be obeyed but when we're out there training and fighting on the battlefield, everyone has to pull their weight because it's a matter of life and death. Even the son of a farmer who proves his bravery in battle and saves the lives of his comrades can earn the respect of his peers. I have been involved in too many skirmishes to believe that status means much when survival is on the line. That's why I don't judge the value of people by their status or their past. I can ill afford to especially if I'm charged with sending young men out to face death. I can hardly afford to lose a single soul at the best of times so I don't have the luxury of putting status above ability and loyalty. Birth status is something that the powerful in Chang'an can indulge in but out there where people don't even know if the next day will bring death or food, it's irrelevant."

"That's true, General. When I made the decision to defend Hong Cuan, it was gratifying to see all the residents even the commoners rallying around wanting to defend their city. The women and children as well. Bravery isn't just the domain of men. It made a painfully horrible job slightly less painful."

"Hearing you speak this way, I am only surprised that you are satisfied at settling down and being someone else's wife."

"I only went to war because there was someone… there were people… I had to protect. It is not something I would choose to engage in. As for being someone else's wife I haven't thought about it in those terms. It's the man I'm with that matters to me. Of course it's better than being someone's bedchamber maid or slave but I promised Yuwen Yue that I would stop running and remain with him."

"So it's obligation then?"

Xing'er shook her head. "I really want to be with him. I think a part of me always did. But it took me a long time to understand what it was that was between us. I kept feeling confused and torn. While I had an inkling of where things stood with us, there were always other considerations pulling me away. It didn't help that from the start he was the enemy and it was easier to think of him in that way but my heart just kept leading me back to him. I thought it would be enough thinking that Yan Xun needed me and that was my path to forge a better life for myself.

"What made you change your mind?"

The question transported Xing'er to the past as the images of the icy lake loomed to the fore. Tears welled up in her eyes and soon they ran down her cheeks. "Yan Xun accused me of turning my back on him… on Yanbei because of Yuwen Yue but I… Just seeing him alone on that icy lake ambushed and fighting for his life, bleeding… Something inside me broke. I spent so much of my new found freedom running away from him and yet it seemed he always managed to outrun me and stay ahead. But then at the icy lake... it was different. Our roles were reversed. I couldn't stand there and watch him lose his life. I could never bear to see him lose his life. Never. Even when I had opportunity after opportunity to strike him myself, I couldn't."

Xing'er lifted up the sleeve of her new dress to wipe away the tears.

"Don't do that, Miss Chu… you'll ruin your pretty dress. Here, use this." Yuwen Xuan handed her a white handkerchief. "Keep it. It's yours now."

Xing'er was immediately drawn to the floral design all around border of the handkerchief. "The embroidery… It's amazing. What an exquisite design. The skill that went into sewing that is incredible."

"Yes, the woman who embroided the handkerchief was one of the best in the land."

"It must be important to you. I can't possibly accept it."

"It's fine. There's now a woman in this family again and there's no need for me to hold on to this any longer."

From those words, Xing'er knew that she had received Yuwen Xuan's blessing. She had never felt more grateful in her life because for the first time for as long as she could remember, she didn't have to do battle to enjoy the real possibility of being part of a family.

* * *

As he ruminated over Yue Qi's latest report, Young Master Yue was reminded yet again that there were no certainties where the future was concerned. No matter what he did to protect the people he cared about, there was always something else around the bend to counter any attempts on his part to create a life of relative normalcy and tranquility with them. Not that he craved an ordinary life. He was too much of a realist to believe that could be his destiny. All he yearned for was a little quiet respite from what seemed to be a neverending stream of frenetic labours and challenges. Still the young master never once deluded himself that Yan Xun would be satisfied with lying still and withdrawing completely from the affairs of the world even after suffering a major defeat. It was always only a matter of time. At least, they had sufficient warning to make preparations and put contingencies in place. There was much to think about. As a solitary figure standing in the pavilion under the beams of a waning moon shouldering with many cares he would rather forget, the young master put the flute to his lips and began to blow.

Some distance away, Xing'er was outdoors enjoying the cool, fresh air rushing playfully past her hair and dress. She heard the familiar sound of the young master's flute coming from the eastern pavilion and followed the progressions of the melody there. How long had it been since she last heard him play? So much had happened in just a few months of returning to Qing Shan Yuan. Music was a luxury at a time of mounting concerns. She hadn't touched the _bi li_ herself in a while and wondered when she'd ever do that again. It had given her a place to escape to at a time when there was no other way to suppress the fear, the sadness and weariness of lurching from one desperate crisis to another.

The old haunting tune that hummed throughout the manor was one he used to play in those early days when she barely knew him… when neither of them really knew or trusted each other. It was their fate first to mistrust and then to claw their way back into one another's hearts and finally to build a place of genuine trust. On hindsight it was Yuwen Yue who had not given up, who held on with inhuman strength to regain whatever tenuous trust had been lost between them.

Climbing steadily up the stairs one step at a time, she savoured every note and every measure. These moments were hard to come by and it was her intention to cherish every single one. It was one of those occasions that they weren't dashing off trying to save the world, trying to make it a safer and better place those whose voices were drowned out by the clamour of those more powerful.

When she reached the top of the stairway, he stopped at once but he did not turn around to face her.

"Yuwen Yue, please don't stop. Please continue. It's been weeks since we've had any kind of music here."

No answer was forthcoming from the young master of the manor. He let his arms fall and flop to the side before he turning around. The next thing she knew, he sent the flute flying in her direction. Reacting swiftly, she cocked her head to one side to dodge the intended blow while catching the flute with her left hand. Giving her no time to recover, he lunged at her and swung a hammer punch which she avoided by leaping into the air in a horizontal somersault position. A man on a mission, Yuwen Yue kept up the offensive by executing a spinning hook kick, which she dodge deftly by landing some distance away still holding on to the flute. He came at her and managed to grip her shoulder before attempting a chokehold. She swung to one side narrowly escaping his grasp. They then exchange blows alternating between hand knife hand and ridge hand attacks. After some back and forth hand movements, executing an elbow strike from one arm, the young master knocked the flute off her grasp and let it fall into the opposite hand. In his hands, the flute became his weapon, which he promptly wielded against her. As he attempted to plunge the flute into her abdomen, she leapt into the air and executed an upper body twist taking her safely out of harm's way. For his countermove he attempted a front kick, which she barely managed to catch and block with both hands before somersaulting out of his reach.

A series of flips, several kicks and many punches later, the hand-to-hand jousting continued with no sign that either was letting up.

* * *

Unbeknownst to them, the grandfather and father were looking on, watching the couple attentively as they continued the relentless sparring.

"He really does like her," said the older man stroking his beard meditatively. "I suppose it isn't hard to see why."

"I like her too," was the great general's response. "She's a survivor."

"She does grow on a person," the older man conceded. "But fortunately for Yue'er she is sincere in her attachment to him."

"Do you think it's just a case of being fortunate?" The father raised his left eyebrow. "Does anything that Yue'er puts his mind to and achieves success in have anything to do with being fortunate?"

The grandfather reflected on his answer before giving it. "Heaven has certainly shown favour to your son but perhaps there's something in what you say. No one can deny that Yue'er has earned every ounce of happiness he now enjoys. "

"It is ironic, is it not? Luo He's daughter, successor of Feng Yun Ling and the _jiang hu_ spy network came into this household as a slave. The successor to the Yuwen clan, Qing Shan Yuan and Eyes of Heaven becomes her mentor. They clashed, they fell in love and they were combatants on opposite sides only to be reunited later. All that aside they have the potential bridge the gap between the martial arts community and the royal court. It's the stuff of legends. A folktale waiting to be disseminated. Minstrels will sing of this in decades to come."

The older man chuckled, "When you put it like this… yes… it is extraordinary and epic, defying explanation."

"I was right to leave Yue'er with you."

"The apple certainly doesn't fall far from the tree. But he's still angry with you for leaving his mother unprotected."

"I know. It doesn't matter. He has found his path and is walking in it. That's what matters."

* * *

"Your reflexes have improved," was the young master's comment when their friendly altercation finally came to an end.

"Were you trying to kill me, Yuwen Yue? It certainly felt like it. You were absolutely brutal." The lady was dusting off herself.

"You've been slackening off. We should get you back on to your old training regime and increase your fitness."

"You're angry with me, right? This was your way of punishing me for offending you."

"I wasn't. I'm not. Really."

"I don't believe you." The lady said petulantly. "You're angry with me for bringing your father here without your knowledge so you decided to take it out on me. Let me tell you one more time, I didn't…"

Before she could say another word, Yuwen Yue reached over, grabbed her from the back of her head and placed his mouth over hers. Reacting to it, her entire body stiffened, her hands clenched up in display of passive resistance. As his lips worked its way all around hers, he could gradually feel the tension leaving her body. Closing her eyes and letting her resistance go, she sensed an edge to this sudden display of passion. Hidden within it was a combination of forcefulness, hunger mixed in with fear.

"I know." A look of sadness briefly passed through his eyes when he finally broke the kiss. "I am sorry."

Xing'er gave him a searching look. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"Don't lie to me, Yuwen Yue. Tell me if things are not right between us."

The young master threw his arms around her trying to reassure her. "I am not angry with you. It's so like Father to do what he did. Going behind my back testing you, testing me."

"Well, I can't say I blame him. You're his beloved son after all… the hope of this family rests on your shoulders."

"Beloved son? Don't tell me that he's brainwashed you." His eyes turned fiery.

The lady laughed. "As if that's possible."

The young master relaxed somewhat. "I wouldn't put it past him to try and talk you out of marrying me."

"I think your father is a better man than you give him credit for."

"I think you give him too much credit. You don't know him."

"I know enough to say that I like him."

Yuwen Yue scowled and huffed. "He has brainwashed you. What did you talk about?"

"He talked about himself. He asked me about us… but mainly about me."

"Like what?"

"Like why I changed my mind. I think he wants to be sure that I am here for all the right reasons."

"I'm not sure he has the right to do that when he's been practically absent for most of my life."

"Is this the reason for all this hostility and aggression? Because you're fighting him vicariously through me?"

"I wouldn't have minded it so much if it had just been me. But Mother…" The young master's voice was rich with emotion.

"I remember when we first came back here, you told me that you wanted a wife who was a survivor because your mother was helpless to defend herself."

"Yes, that's right."

"What happened to your mother?"

The young master's entire body sank to the floor. "She went mad. It had something to do with Ji Le Pavilion… Yuwen Xi… He assaulted her sexually and ran her reputation through the mud."

"Yuwen Yue… why didn't you ever…"

"I didn't really know the whole truth until the third year I was at the border. Before Yuwen Xi's wife, the Lady of the Third Branch died, she wrote me a letter revealing the entire sordid truth. Before that everyone was made to believe that Mother committed adultery with Yuwen Xi."

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

"It was a family scandal and of course no one wanted to move against him. Although he was a debauched womanizer and in the end it was probably no great surprise that things unfolded the way they did, I can't help but blame Father for not being here to protect her."

"Then I'm glad that the old reprobate died in my hands."

Even through the dimly lit space, Xing'er could see the tears in his eyes glistening in the dark. She took out the handkerchief that had been recently gifted to her and started wiping them from his cheeks.

The young master smiled in spite of himself. "Not so loud… I can't afford to have you sent to gaol for that. I can't lose you too."

"You won't." She continued to mop up his tears in gentle, workmanlike fashion while he watched intently.

Rather abruptly Yuwen Yue grabbed the hand that was holding the handkerchief. He stared at her with an intensity that sent her heart racing. "You looked really lovely in this dress tonight. I liked the way you did your hair too."

Xing'er fell shy instantly. Receiving compliments from Yuwen Yue about her appearance was like mining for gold. "The hair style was Xiao Le's idea. I didn't think you noticed. You seemed so preoccupied and moody all throughout dinner."

"A man would be blind not to notice that dress."

"It's hard to know what that mind is thinking some times." She jabbed his forehead jovially. "You almost ruined the pretty new dress when you attacked me earlier."

"I was very careful not to. Besides, I want to see you wear it many more times."

There was something about the way he made that last statement that sent a frisson of pleasure all through her body. But she didn't know how to respond to this complimentary mood he was in except to chaff.

"You make it sound like I never wear pretty things."

"Sadly very rarely. Other men would probably not be so tolerant but you're lucky that I'm not superficial. It's famine and feast with you."

"You pay compliments one minute and throw out insults the next. You need to be more consistent when wooing a woman. Heaven only knows the things I put up with. You have a lot to learn about making a woman happy."

Yuwen Yue drew her closer to his person. "Pretty dresses are well and good but it's you I want."

The pace of his breathing quickened.

"Well, that's more like it. I suppose even you can be taught to flatter a woman and make her feel wanted."

"No… I want you Xing'er… I mean it." The desperation in his voice surprised her.

"I know…"

"No… you don't." He was looking at her with that same earlier intensity. "I want you. All of you." His voice lowered to a hoarse whisper.

Sensing that she had not grasped the full force of his words, he grasped both her shoulders in a possessive, meaningful manner.

In that instant his intentions became clear. She averted her eyes shyly and looked around half embarrassed, half guardedly. "This is hardly the place for it but I can… er… bring tea to your room later if you like." She could barely breathe for sheer nervousness.

The young master relaxed his hold over her. "No, not yet. I want to see you in a red dress first."

"When? Soon?"

"Very soon. As soon as the necessary preparations are made."

* * *

Xiao Ce swaggered into Huan Yu Pavilion greeted enthusiastically by a bunch of rowdy eager women literally throwing themselves at him. Not since the appearance of Young Master Yuwen Yue weeks earlier, had any other client received such a rousing reception on their entrance. Sadly for these women such attractive patrons were few and far between. When they did come, they were extremely choosy.

The prince of Liang asked for his own quarters and requested the services of a certain Murong Qing. It was put to him that the services Miss Murong rendered didn't come cheaply but that did not deter the pleasure-loving prince one whit. Arrangements were quickly made for Miss Murong who happened to be available, to be sent to His Highness' quarters.

"Miss Murong, I hear that you're a highly accomplished _gu zheng_ instrumentalist."

"You flatter me, Your Highness but yes, it's my specialty although not quite the equal of Miss Mei Fang."

"Miss Mei Fang, though elegant and reputedly gifted, is not to my taste. I like my escorts younger, if you understand my meaning."

Miss Murong smiled brightly and nodded. She placed her fingers on the strings and began running her fingers all over them with practiced dexterity. From the introduction, a recognizable mellifluous melody in the tradition of Liang emerged from the plucks and vibrations. As she began transitioning to a louder, faster passage, Xiao Ce moved closer towards her and began speaking above the music.

"I hear that you are Yan Xun's contact here in Chang'an. Don't ask me how I know that's not important right now. I have a message for him. In about a week, I will be returning to Liang with the Princess Xiao Yu. As he has probably already heard in recent days, she played no small part in the deaths of his family members. This piece of vellum contains the exact details regarding the route that we will be taking. It's up to him how he wishes to handle the situation. However it will be in his hands only when we come to some agreement. If he is interested at all in doing business with me, he should send a message through you as soon as possible. This offer is good for the duration of my stay here. Once we leave Wei and I hear nothing, I will assume that he's not interested."

At this point, the instrumentalist increased the intensity of the cadences as she gave the impression of someone attacking the board. The picking movements became increasingly aggressive and both fingers moved deftly all along the board for a crescendo build up before the melody ended with a coda.

Xiao Ce clapped enthusiastically on cue and requested another two pieces. He stretched himself on the daybed and fed himself wolfberries as he contemplated his next course of action.

* * *

When Yue Qi saw Young Master Yue closing the door to Xing'er's room behind him, he waited discreetly at a distance before greeting him and making his latest report. When the young master noticed his aide waiting in the courtyard, he motioned for him to follow. Yue Qi's report confirmed his earlier fears.

"There's very little doubt that Yan Xun is on the move again and he seems to be heading this way… for Chang'an. But the notable part is that he is not moving in any fixed pattern and mostly on his own. His army has set up camp outside of Yanbei and a sizeable number of men have deserted and gone back to Yanbei."

"So… he's not bringing his army here."

"That doesn't seem to be the case. But it seems that you were right, sir, about some connection between Prince Xiao Ce and Prince Yan Xun. We've just received word from Miss Mei Fang's people at Huan Yu Pavilion that Prince Xiao Ce made contact with a known associate of Yan Xun there."

"He might be trying to lure Yan Xun out using Xiao Yu," The young master surmised. "Whatever his motives, he does know that Yan Xun is on the move."

"It's is quite possible."

The young master sighed. "Sometimes I really hate being right."

"What's wrong, sir?"

"If Yan Xun is coming here, as we speculate that he might be, there is something afoot. He's coming alone which suggests to me that he has some personal business to take care of."

"Young master, you're not saying that he's coming here?"

"I think we have to consider that a real possibility."

"Have you told Miss Xing'er about any of this?"

"No, I haven't. Frankly I'd rather she didn't know."

"Why?"

"I'm not sure how she will react knowing he's coming here. More importantly, I'm not sure how I'll react to her reaction."

"You don't really believe she'll go back to him."

"She might, if she thought she could save lives by doing it. Xing'er may not have been in love with Yan Xun but she considered him a comrade-in-arms."

"But she broke with Yan Xun, she fought his men, saved your life and came back here at great risk to herself."

"I know it sounds irrational. I shouldn't even be thinking this way."

"Young Master, if you don't mind me saying but it sounds like you're behaving just like any other man who is worried about losing the woman he loves."

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

 _What would the young master do without Yue Qi? A trusted aide and a useful sounding board. But a more important question would be: What would a fanfic writer do without him?_

 _Well, well, well… this chapter took a life of its own and went in directions that I myself didn't anticipate. While other fanfic writers (no names mentioned) might think that they're stingy with kissing scenes, I suspect I might be overdoing it a bit. But it felt right and emotionally it seemed to work considering all the other stuff that's going on in the background. I also got a little nostalgic for those bedroom tango-sparring while doing some research via Episode 13 and it occurred to me during a Zumba class that those two really needed to revisit that bedroom training regime lest they lose their dexterity._

 _I had always intended to bring Dad into the mix although how that was going to play out was always a bit nebulous. In response to those who seemed surprised at this development, there was a hint of that in an earlier chapter. I was resolved not to make Dad an outright Bad Guy in this story even if Yuwen Yue doesn't think much of his father in TV canon. Kids are seldom objective about their parents anyway especially if the relationship is fraught with issues. Furthermore, as I had already portrayed Yuwen Zhuo as an insufferable, marriage-objecting curmudgeon early on, I thought that rehashing all of that would be tiresome to say the least. I named Dad after Three Kingdoms statesman Zhuge Liang's uncle Zhuge Xuan, the man who was largely responsible for raising him. I thought it appropriate considering that in the novel, Yuwen Yue was in all probability named after Zhuge Liang, who just so happens to be one of my great historical crushes._ _For this chapter I also undertook "research" of specific episodes. Watching Yuwen Yue doing superhuman feats, dodging traps in secret chambers and anticipating enemy activities caused me to fall in love with him again._

 _Although TV canon never quite gets to the end of the mystery of Mum's death to my knowledge, putting all the pieces together, I concluded that Yuwen Xi, did what he always does where vulnerable attractive women are concerned._

 _And yes, there's also me being a bit of a history snob with the inclusion of Sun Zi's_ Art of War _here._ The Art of War _has been a fun read these past few years and I possess on my Kindle a great edition translated by Thomas Cleary, which also contains commentary by other famous strategists (like Cao Cao) in Chinese history (sadly no Zhuge Liang though he supposedly wrote his own war strategy book). References to it seemed appropriate considering the players in this story._


	14. Matrimony and Mayhem 3

In-Laws and Outlaws: Matrimony and Mayhem 3

"So the rules of military operations is not to count on opponents not coming, but to rely on having ways of dealing with them; not to count on opponents not attacking, but to rely on having what cannot be attacked." – Sun Zi, "Adaptations" in _The Art of War_ (Trans: Thomas Cleary)

 _A/N: Not too long now everyone... the end is near..._

* * *

As soon as the ceremony was over, the bride was promptly led to the nuptial chamber while guests made their way to the great hall for the wedding banquet. There was a glittering array of personages present, every single one invited to make a point about the bride and her elevation to the ranks of the nobility. The groom lingered a while among the guests, sincerely thanking each one for gracing the occasion with their presence. No personage in this guest list was more exalted than a prince of the realm. He heartily congratulated his friend and comrade-in-arms, for proving him wrong, for finally snaring the elusive flower and planting it in his own garden in blatant display to the whole world. The prince's comment was instantly rewarded by a smile from the groom who was reminded of a conversation in the past at a time when the prospect of any kind of a relationship with the woman of his dreams seemed completely out of reach.

As soon as he had performed his duty as host, the groom eagerly went to his bride who was sitting on the nuptial bed awaiting his attention. Still veiled, she had been patiently waiting, wondering what the future would hold for them. She could hear the chatter outside the room, shouts of laughter and the buzz of revelry. The wine was having its effect and the guests were getting into the spirit of things. She had, in good humour, accepted the friendly teasing of her female companions and had demurely scoffed when they playfully stated everyone's expectations for her imminent success in childbearing. It had been fortunate that no one was able to see her reaction under that veil.

The groom took his natural place by his bride. Both were obviously moved by the occasion and seemed oddly shy. Nothing was said initially although the groom slipped his hand over the bride's and grasped it with unmistakable fervor.

"Aren't you going to take the veil off?" The bride said after the silence became unbearable. "At least you should be sure that you've married the right woman."

The couple moved around to face each other and the groom slipped the veil off the bride... the woman who was now officially his _fu ren_ … his Lady and his Wife.

"Would I not know it was you even with the veil?" He muttered wryly. "Even when you were pretending to be an escort on that island health spa, I knew the moment you spoke that it was you."

The bride made a show of being annoyed. "You've never told me that before."

"If I had said anything you'd have run away at once. I couldn't let that you do that. Also if you had run away, we'd never had that week together. All those precious moments. I had no knowledge when I'd ever see you again."

"I will never run away from you again. I swear." She promised, tightening her grasp on his hand.

"I will definitely hold you to it."

They each took a goblet of honeyed wine that had been prepared earlier and sipped from it before exchanging goblets and drinking from each other's vessels. When that was done, the groom proceeded to carefully remove the pins from the bridal headdress... one at a time, taking the time to savour every moment with his new bride.

"I want to remember every single moment of this." The young master said, as if explaining a quirk. "You in this gown, you looking as beautiful as you have always been."

The bride was pleased but didn't show it. "Who would have thought, the Young Master Yuwen Yue being so sentimental?"

"I am only sentimental about you."

The bride smiled but there were hints of tears breaking through the corners of her eyes.

When the groom was done he reached over to touch the bride's face, closing the distance between them. Reacting to the tremors emanating from his hand, the bride grasped it tenderly rubbing it against her cheek.

"You can't possibly be nervous about this. It's not exactly our first time." She said softly.

"Our first time was born out of necessity, not exactly something I would consider an achievement to boast about. Why do you think I never forced myself on you even while you were my chambermaid? To be intimate with you was reassuring and a pleasure. To be your first was my privilege. But for you to be by my side for the rest of my life is the best gift that I will ever receive you."

The words took her breath away. The bride opened her mouth to say something but nothing was forthcoming. What could she say? Anything she could say or wanted to say seemed feeble in light of this declaration.

Stroking her cheek, the groom spoke again. "But I'm not nervous."

"Then why's your hand trembling so much?"

"Because I am truly happy, my dearest, most beloved _fu ren_. You have made me a very happy man by staying and being part of my world. You're helping me change it little by little and perhaps together we can make it better for those who have no voice. "

"Oh…" was all she could say. There was clearly something different about the groom that evening. Something about the way he made that declaration. He was transparent with his feelings in a way that was both wonderful and terrifying at the same time. It was as if a revelation from Heaven had been given to her. It was her turn to shake. Unbearably and joyously.

Instinctively he leaned over and brushed his lips gently over hers. "It's fine, we will take this slowly."

The groom reached for the sash around the bride's robe and began to unravel it. Encouraged in spite of the looming nerves, the bride reached for his sash and followed suit.

* * *

 _About three weeks earlier…_

A certain Miss Chu followed a line of workmen and other assorted Yue guards and Xiuli men to an unused room right at the back of the manor. All morning there were men making a beeline to the room carrying building materials in and carrying out evidence of excavation and off-cuts.

The lady was mystified by the hive of activity all around her. "Yuwen Yue, what are you doing?"

"Preparing the nuptial chamber," was the concise answer she received.

"Why? We can just use your room, can't we? Why go through the trouble and expense setting up another room?"

"Because it means a new start… not just for you, me but _us_." The young master was deliberately emphatic at the end of the sentence.

"It's a thoughtful gesture but highly unnecessary. You already have so much to do as is, why concern yourself with such trivialities?"

"Trivialities?" The young master glared her with some ferocity. "Xing'er, this concerns our future together. It is a matter of immense importance."

"What a strange thing to say. It's just a room. We've both slept in places far less comfortable than this."

"It's not just a room and this won't be just any ordinary occasion. We will be spending our wedding night here. This room will give us the privacy we need."

The lady wasn't sure whether to frown or to blush. The young master was being loudly indiscreet in front of the other men so she took a different tack. "You are determined to go through with this, aren't you?"

"Absolutely." The young master did seem resolute.

"Alright." Xing'er was convinced that Yuwen Yue had gone slightly insane and feverish with wedding preparations but resiged herself to the fact that there was no point in continuing this argument for its own sake. "Fine, how can I help?"

"You don't need to. I have everything under control. Don't you have things you should be doing?"

"Like what?"

"Like buying new clothes, picking jewellery, choosing cosmetics. The sort of things that women do before the wedding."

"When have you known me to care about such things? Besides I already have my wedding dress."

"Can't you at the very least make an exception for this occasion?"

"This is very important to you, isn't it?"

"Yes. It's very important that a man has a bride he can be proud of."

"Alright, I'll humour you." Chu Qiao huffed. "I'm not sure what's the point of going that far when I'm wearing a veil anyway."

Noticing for the first time the streaks of dirt and grime on his face she exclaimed, "What in heaven's name have you been doing? You look absolutely filthy and your entire face is covered with perspiration."

"Just a bit of digging here and there." He waved a hammer and chisel around to prove his point.

From inside her sleeve, Chu Qiao whipped out the handkerchief that the great general had given her and started mopping her fiancé's forehead. "You look like such a little boy in this state."

Without any warning, he grabbed her arm and carefully examined the handkerchief she was using.

Chu Qiao protested at once. "Yuwen Yue, what now?"

"Where did you get this handkerchief?" He demanded.

"Your father, the great general, gave it to me."

"He did?" The young master released her arm and frowned. "So that's what happened to it."

"Why, what's wrong?"

"It was Mother's. It was placed in her coffin before burial and then it disappeared later."

"He didn't tell you that he took it?"

"I didn't even know he was at the wake. I really thought… That man is infuriating. He should have told me." The young master was clearly exasperated with this piece of revelation.

"So the person who embroided this was… your mother?"

"Yes. She was a well-known seamstress before she had me. Her needlework was unparalleled. Even when she lost her mind, there weren't too many who could match her ability."

"That's what your father said. The person who did this was the best embroiderer in the world. But he made no mention that it was your mother."

"I don't know why that man thinks he needs to be mysterious and indifferent about everything."

"Look who's talking. Like father, like son." The lady was snickering with no small amount of satisfaction.

Before the young master could say his piece, one of the Yue guards came flying in claiming to be bringing an urgent report.

"Young Master, there's someone at the entrance of the manor heckling and causing problems for the tradesman. If we've identified him correctly, it's probably Young Master Wang Ming. He seems to be drunk."

"This early in the morning?" Chu Qiao murmured sarcastically.

The Yue guard was flustered. "He's been mentioning you by name, sir and won't leave until you personally make an appearance. Since he's a noble, the men and I don't think it's appropriate for us..."

"Alright, I'll be there soon."

After a some hesitation the Yue guard added, "I should also say that Young Master Ming is in a hostile frame of mind."

"Understood."

The lady looked annoyed. "I wonder what he wants. A storm in a teacup first thing in the morning."

"It's not hard to guess. Revenge, I imagine, for sending his father to the execution grounds."

Yuwen Yue let drop the hammer in his hand and dusted his outer garment. When he felt more presentable he took a few steps forward.

Chu Qiao stuck her arm out in front of him. "Where do you think you are going, Young Master Yue?"

"To greet my guest. Where else?"

"Shouldn't you have a sword or something?"

"Do you really think I need a sword to deal with Wang Ming?" The young master looked faintly amused. "Besides, don't I have you?"

The last comment seemed to mollify the lady. Despite the disgruntled expression, she let him pass without any further demurral. Now that he had her permission, Yuwen Yue gradually made his way to the front of the estate with Chu Qiao grumbling behind him about his general negligence and lack of concern for his own safety.

When they arrived at the entrance where the entire event was unfolding, a small crowd of bystanders had already gathered at the gate. Wang Ming was indeed in a hostile frame of mind but his drunken stupor rendered him largely ineffective in terms of physical violence. The moment Yuwen Yue stepped into view, Wang Ming came hurtling towards him with a dagger in one hand and a wine bottle in the other. Yuwen Yue comfortably stepped to one side and knocked the dagger off Master Ming's hand with ease.

"Yuwen Yue, you killed my father. Prepare to die." The Young Master Ming's declaration was decidedly slurred.

Undeterred Wang Ming made another charge towards him. But before he could get to his target, Chu Qiao stuck her leg out in his line of attack. This saw him trip over and sent him plunging head first into the ground.

"How can you kill anyone when you can't even stand straight, think straight and run straight?" With her arms folded the lady gave him a well-placed kick in his rear end, which sent him flying some distance. The entire crowd roared with laughter at the spectacle.

"Must you humiliate the man so?" With perfect equanimity, Yuwen Yue chastised. "He's already suffering."

"Why are you taking his side? He's trying to kill you."

"Not very effectively in the state he's in. Let's not kill him, shall we?"

The two of them strode over to the young successor of the Wang clan who was lying very still face down and examined him.

For the first time Chu Qiao sounded concerned. "He's not dead, is he?"

Yuwen Yue stuck a finger under the younger man's nose. "No, fortunately. He's just unconscious."

"What do we do now?"

"Wake him."

At the instructions of their young master, two Yue guards lifted the arms of the unconscious man and dragged him to the stable. They carried him to the water trough, pushed his head into it and quickly lifted him out. The entire exercise was repeated several times before the man started gasping for breath and screamed for help at the top of his lungs.

Miss Chu looked on with some satisfaction. "Well, he's awake. What now?"

"We should send him home."

"Whaaaat?" Chu Qiao was decidedly unimpressed. "Just like that? You've gone foolishly soft. What if he comes back?"

"It's fine. He can't do much damage."

"Maybe not. But he could be a waste of time." The lady wrinkled her forehead thoughtfully.

"What are you thinking?"

The lady's face brightened. "Leave him with me. This whippersnapper needs to learn a few home truths about his father and his cronies."

"Make sure he doesn't die." Young Master Yue narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

The great general, who had been watching the proceedings with keen interest, made his presence known. "I too am curious to see what Miss Chu does with Young Master Wang Ming. I will go along and ensure that nobody dies." He said this with the most serious tone of voice he could muster. Then he turned to her and winked conspiratorially.

Miss Chu tried hard not to grin. "There you go," She said to the young master,"The General will keep an eye on me. Don't worry, Yuwen Yue, we'll definitely send him home in one piece."

Watching those two go off with Wang Ming in tow, Yuwen Yue's felt his heart gradually sinking. The devil-may-care attitude of those two did not inspire much confidence that any good would come of that collaboration.

* * *

In Chang'an's most fortified prison, talk of another collaboration was taking place between half siblings. There was no love lost between the two despite attempts by either party to maintain appearances to the contrary. Xiao Ce kept up the pretence of being ignorant of his half sister's plots to unseat him through his foppish mask. On this occasion to boost the image he showed the world, he placed a scarf over his nose as he walked through the corridor that took him to his sister's cell. When their eyes met, he affected in the loudest possible way a voice of astonishment as he placed his hand over an open mouth.

"Sister, you've lost weight since I last saw you. You look so malnourished. Why haven't you been eating?"

"You left me in prison for an entire week. How could you?" exclaimed his half sister who was trying with great difficulty not to show her deep displeasure.

"It couldn't be helped. Those Wei officials just don't trust me or you," replied Xiao Ce defensively.

"Meanwhile you've been out and about enjoying yourself." Xiao Yu's speech though calm had an underlying bitterness to it

"Enjoying myself?" Xiao Ce almost choked on his saliva. "You must be joking! I'm dying of boredom, to be honest. I cannot wait to get back to Liang. The women here are dead ugly."

For the first time in ten days, Xiao Yu felt hopeful.

"Is that why you're here? We're going back to Liang?" She asked eagerly.

Xiao Ce waved his scarf around with an exaggerated air of confidence.

"Of course, the officials here have decided not to prosecute you in the interest of inter-state relations but you are no longer permitted to remain in Wei or to return. If you do, you will be killed on sight. I'll have you know that I begged and pleaded for you. I told them how distressed Father would be if he knew you were suffering here. Negotiations took a long time. They finally relented when I said I would go on a hunger strike if they didn't release you."

"Father has forgiven me? Has he changed his mind about sending me on a marriage mission?"

Xiao Ce spoke in a kindly manner and tried to reassure his half sibling. "Father is quite soft-hearted as you well know. I'm sure we can talk him out of it. The two of us together. A united front."

Despite the smiling façade she was showing, Xiao Yu was inwardly sceptical of the claims. "When do we leave?"

"This afternoon."

* * *

A good day's work had been completed. He'd sent the workman home at sundown in the hope that they would get enough rest and replenishment to do it all again the next day. In the overall scheme of things it was only just the start. Refurbishing the nuptial chamber would take time and they were operating to a ridiculously tight schedule. Yuwen Yue foresaw some late nights in his future but this would not be such night. On this particular night he felt like a bout of drinking in the great outdoors, under the moon and the constellations, under the northern sky.

He sat and listened as Yue Qi came to give his report. "We sent Young Master Wang Ming home safely. He was fine. Miss Xing'er took him to Hong Shan Yuan and showed him all the homeless children and explained to him why they were there. Then she told him about Xiao Le and Shui Zhu and the part his father played in their tragic story. During the mid-day meal, she made him feed the children as his punishment. She's still there with the children. Guards at the refugee camp have informed me that in a day or two, we may see some families coming to collect their children. As instructed, we also did some checking about Wang Ming's movements last night and this morning. Apparently he was seen drinking heavily with a man in a hooded cloak who also paid for him to stay in one of their better rooms. They talked a while but no one knows what they talked about but they did hear crying and shouting. All they can confirm is that this morning Wang Ming stormed angrily out of his room at the inn causing quite a disturbance. There was a carriage waiting for him outside the inn and he got on it. I'm assuming that it was this same carriage that dropped him somewhere in this vicinity."

"I'm now wondering if he was really drunk or if he had been drugged. He was carrying a wine bottle and so we all assumed he was drunk." The young master speculated.

"Do you think he was being manipulated?"

"Perhaps. I've made a lot of enemies in recent times due to the corruption scandal. It could be one of them that put him up to it. However…"

"What are you thinking, sir?"

"There is something strange about it. Wang Ming isn't exactly a proficient pugilist and certainly not at the level that he's able to do any real harm to me. Why him? I could think of at least half a dozen other ways for someone to come after me even in broad daylight which would be far more effective."

"That's true."

"Wang Ming could be a distraction."

"To what end?"

"That's the question worthy of a hundred pieces of gold."

At that moment Yuwen Yue heard footsteps approaching and swung around to see who it was.

"What is a question worthy of a hundred pieces of gold?"

Echoing the question was was the great general's way of announcing his approach while avoiding the accusation that he was eavesdropping. Seeing him, Yue Qi bowed respectfully and begged to be excused.

"Don't let me interrupt this intriguing conversation." The general insisted trying to prevent Yue Qi from leaving.

"It's fine, General. I've completed my report. I'm sure you and the young master have a lot to talk about. Meanwhile I have other duties to attend to."

Yue Qi bowed again and sprinted off to bolster security around the front gate.

The general scanned the scene and a whiff of alcohol emanating from the stone table reached his nostrils. It was a heaven-sent opportunity.

"A man should never drink alone if he has companions. Can I join you?"

"Suit yourself." His son spoke neither cordially nor inhospitably. As he was not averse to the idea he flung his father a cup.

The general caught it with a backhand and took a seat beside his son, who swiftly reached for the wine jar and poured his father a cup.

The general imbibed the drink with a certain amount of relish and was full of praise for the drink. "Good stuff! It's a while since I've had anything this good. But out in the border one takes what one can get. Some of the village brews aren't too bad but nothing in this league."

After some silence in which the men drank companionably, the son spoke.

"I was at the border too. For three years."

"I heard. You performed well and received the highest commendations for your efforts."

Apparently the great general had found his son in a talkative mood and took up the unspoken invitation. Undoubtedly the alcohol was weaving its spell and effectively loosening the younger man's lips. "In some ways it was the worst and best three years of my life." The young master remarked.

"How so?"

"I thought I'd lost Xing'er forever before then. It helped me to take my mind off her, shift my focus elsewhere. All the regrets I had about us… there were too many. Not being able to protect her when she needed me the most would haunt me for nights. But being out there in the border fighting for my life and for others was the distraction I was in desperate need of."

"I know what you mean."

There was a discernible softening in Yuwen Yue's disposition towards his father. Cessation of hostilities had begun days earlier and it seemed that his father's attempts to reach out to him was chipping away at his sullen reticence.

Yuwen Yue downed another cup before saying, "Why didn't you tell me that you came back for Mother's wake?"

"Because… because I couldn't face her… and I couldn't face you either. I didn't want to justify myself to you because there was nothing to justify. Mostly I didn't want you to follow my path."

"Why not? Isn't it every father's wish to see his son emulate him? To bring glory to his family?"

"Your mother is the reason why I didn't want you to follow me into the military. It's enough for one woman to have to suffer the way she did. Mind you, she never complained but I knew she felt lonely."

For the first time in a long time, the son faced his father squarely and looked him in the eye. "Did you love my mother?"

"Yes... I did." The father hesitated. "I know it's hard for you to understand, I don't expect you to but I cared about her very much. It's been my greatest regret that I couldn't be the man I needed to be for her sake."

Both men basked in the quietness of the surrounds save for the water falling in the background. Confessions made… the son finally privy to his father's heart.

"But it's different for you, Yue'er," The father continued after the silence. "My choices don't have to be yours. My path isn't yours. Miss Chu is a loyal and kind-hearted woman. You could have done a lot worse."

"I am surprised." The son commented, not looking especially surprised.

"What about?"

"That you don't object to her. That you're so trusting."

"I pride myself on being a good judge of character and she's someone I wouldn't mind fighting alongside."

The son's face contorted an expression of incredulity. "Really?"

"Really. Take this for example: Last week when I first met her outside the refugee camp, her only concern was for the children. She didn't think about the danger that they posed or the inconvenience of having twenty children with her. She just wanted to find a way to help them. This afternoon, when she dragged that poor boy Wang Ming over to Hong Shan Yuan to lecture him over finer truths of virtuous living, she gave him a chance to redeem himself. When he left, she played with the children, told them stories and helped some of the younger ones who were having trouble sleeping to settle down.

"But truthfully, what I'm really proud of is… my son. My son is a good judge of character. My son chose a fine woman who cares about people and puts them ahead of herself. My son doesn't mind that she has these impulses that inconvenience him. It is also true that the woman he likes does these unexpected acts of charity and imposes on him. But he goes along with all of it, good-naturedly. All this tells me is that my son has grown up to be a good man."

Yuwen Xuan said no more. He let his words sink in and to do its work. Whatever his son was thinking at that time, he didn't know and he didn't ask. In due time, Yue'er would come to understand the complexities of his position. The son made no comment but the words had an effect. He didn't know what to say or if anything that had to be said then. He needed time... to think. Silence was the choice they both made. The conversation was at an end. All that remained was for the two men to pass the rest of evening away with a newfound rapport.

* * *

While the inhabitants of Qing Shan Yuan and Hong Shan Yuan were retiring for the night, a _qing gong_ exponent, hooded and cloaked flew into Hong Shan Yuan unnoticed by the sentries positioned around the outer perimeter. He also managed to evade the attention of former soldiers guarding the temporary housing occupied by almost two dozen children. He heard and saw the flicker of flames that lit the courtyard as he scurried across the rooftops covering that once grandiose manor housing the Third Branch of the Yuwen family. The architecture did not interest him in the slightest. The only thing that held his gaze was the woman who was accompanying the sleeping children in the great hall. She was looking altogether well and perhaps happy too. As everyone's focus was on the children, he was able to move freely and continue following her every move without being seen by others.

Not long afterwards he saw that she was getting up to go and was ambling towards the exit. As she doing that she continued to look over her shoulders every step of the way, presumably checking on the sleeping children. When she reached the outer entrance she bade the sentries good night and received the expected replies. Outside, a man was waiting for her, presumably to accompany her home. From his vantage point, the hooded figure was able to identify the man as his greatest rival. This rival took the woman's hand and spoke to her in low tones. She immediately became more relaxed as they conversed while walking towards Qing Shan Yuan. The hooded figure reacted by leaping from surface to surface and finally finding a treetop that gave him a better view of what the couple was doing. His eyes continued to trail their every move and no attempt was made to avert his eyes even while the couple was locked in a loving embrace outside the walls of the manor. Witnessing this intimate moment, a familiar emotion rose from the pit of his stomach. He recognized it as jealousy from the time when she rode off declaring that she would never forgive him if his rival were to die on that icy lake. It was the same sensation that took hold of him when he saw her carry the Can Hong sword that first time. That same feeling engulfed him when she had returned from being with his rival for an entire day pretending to be his maid one last time. The look on her face… he had no doubt she had been hiding something at the time. The hooded man had suspected then what she had not guessed herself… that her feelings for the young master of Qing Shan Yuan were as strong as ever despite her claims to the contrary.

Confronted by the spectacle in front of him, the hooded figure was tempted to strike at his rival and carry the woman off to a distant place where she would never be found by any other living soul. Seeing her again in the arms of that man was a worse aftermath than being defeated in battle. Not only was his pride was bruised but it felt like his heart had been ripped out. The pangs were excruciating and instinctively he winced when he observed his rival leaning closer to the woman intimately. His discomfiture caused him to shift position thoughtlessly and as a result, he accidentally broke a branch, which tumbled down through the foliage and eventually on to the ground. His targets were alerted that instant and they swung round to where the noise was coming from. Realising instantly that he had given himself away, the hooded figure stood still and tried to blend into the foliage.

His rival had done his calculations and marched up to the tree where he was hiding. Fortunately for the hooded man, the cover of darkness shielded him.

"It's probably a bat or an owl." The woman commented as she followed behind.

"Probably."

"Let's go back. It's getting late." The woman spoke again. The hooded figure was glad to hear her speak. He had missed her voice. "You have a busy day ahead of you tomorrow."

As they started to walk away from the tree, he managed to catch the tail end of their conversation.

"Yes. You need to rest too. You've had a busy day with the children."

"That's not hard work. Being with the children is fun."

"Well, good. I'm glad to hear it because I expect us to have many children together."

The woman stuck her tongue out and then smiled. "Not that many, I hope." She pointed in the direction of the manor they had just left.

The man muttered something that was inaudible even while the hooded figure was straining to listen. The woman giggled in response and they both made their way back to Qing Shan Yuan hand in hand.

When he saw that they were clearly out of sight and earshot, the hooded figure breathed a sigh of relief. He then jumped off the tree and landed softly on terra firma. While a confrontation with them was inevitable in the long run, he was not prepared in that moment to deal with his rival just yet. There was something else he had to attend to first.

* * *

It was the early hours of the morning but still dark when Xiao Yu woke up with a groggy head. Staring through her drugged state, it was clear that she was no longer in the carriage with that exceedingly untrustworthy Xiao Ce. As she tried to move, it became increasingly obvious that her mobility was severely restricted by the use of ropes around her body. It dawned on her that she had gone from one form of incarceration to another in a matter of hours. This time, however, the identity of her captor eluded her. She scanned her surroundings and it seemed that she was now hostage in a simply furnished peasant's hut. In the middle of the room, was a table with a lit candle sitting on it. There was no one around so her immediate thought was to struggle out of her bonds and cry out in the event a passerby or a neighbor would hear her.

Behind her a male voice with a familiar ring spoke for the first time.

"There's no point in yelling for help. We're far from nearest village and too far from the city for anyone to rescue you."

The princess from Liang tried to turn her head to look. "Yan Xun?"

 _What's he doing here? How did he find me?_

"It's good to see that you still remember me." His monotone belied a disposition to inflict serious damage.

"Why am I here? Where's my brother?" The princess asked heatedly.

 _Did he go for help? Or did he take off at the first sign of trouble?_

Her captor walked up to her and waved a dagger in front of her. "Your brother? Don't depend on him for help. He's probably half way to Liang by now."

"Is he responsible for this? For me becoming your prisoner?"

"Bravo," Yan Xun clapped with a slowness that hinted of a peril that was to come. "Yes, it doesn't seem like he likes you too much."

"The feeling is mutual." The princess asserted with feeling. "So why am I here?"

"I'm going to kill you of course."

"Then why am I still alive?"

"Because it needs to hurt. Because you need to be awake to feel every bit of it. I want me to be the last thing you see before you die."

The princess of Liang wondered seriously if this was to be her end. _After everything that's happened, am I going to die in his hands?_

"You're very simple-minded aren't you, Yan Xun."

The former prince of Yanbei did not react. "Was that supposed to be an insult?"

"Perhaps. Did it work?"

"Not especially."

The princess knew she had to think quickly if she wanted to survive this ordeal. "You want to kill me, I want to live. Is there any room for negotiation?" She said pleasantly.

"Not really." The former prince sounded bored.

"Is there something I can do for you so that I can get a little reprieve?"

"Nothing comes to mind."

"Is there anyone that you hate more than me?" The princess knew she had to persist and negotiate her way out of this.

"Perhaps."

"It wouldn't happen to be Yuwen Yue, would it?" As soon as she said it, there was a flicker in Yan Xun's eyes. Xiao Yu knew at once she'd hit the nail on the head. Yan Xun became more amenable.

"What do you have in mind?"

Xiao Yu took a deep breath and took the bull by its horns. "We have a mutual enemy. This calls for a mutually beneficial business transaction."

"Let's hear what you have to say first."

"Untie me first."

"I'm sure you can talk with your hands tied."

The princess knew it was strategically fatal to push Yan Xun too far. "Have it your way."

* * *

The next morning before continuing with the renovations for the nuptial chamber, Yuwen Yue examined the branch again, this time with the aid of the morning sun. Something about the freshness of the break caught his eyes so he took Yue Qi with him to the exact place where he found the broken branch. Using _qing gong_ , he vaulted from one major branch of the tree to the other until he was able to identify from where the broken branch had fallen from. He swept the area and when he had completed his survey, he leapt back downwards until he reached the ground.

"Someone was definitely there last night," The young master concluded still holding on to the branch.

"Spying on us?"

The young master nodded. "The question is why."

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

 _I won't apologize for being mawkish because as someone who followed PA faithfully for weeks expecting more, I think I'm due for a large dose of it. As a rule I'm allergic to fanfic weddings but as I was to able to find an approach which didn't involve me drowning in too many cliches, it eased my conscience somewhat. It helps of course that YWY and XE's lives in canon has them constantly lurching from crisis to crisis._

 _I think I had a couple of Princess Bride moments while I was writing but in a fit of mischief I left them in there as a homage to the genre. In another act of mischief, I thought it fitting that Yan Xun should suffer pangs of torment from seeing YWY and XE together since YWY had to suffer much in the role of bystander on tv. A bit of tit for tat. :P Anyway, I had too much fun writing._

 _Janedelarosa - I can't thank you personally because you're a guest but thanks for identifying yourself. I'm very grateful for your beautiful and picturesque comment. It helped me understand what it was that drew you to the last chapter and how it engaged you._

 _Much appreciation to everyone else who swung by and commented. You have no idea how much of an encouragement to me you've been._


	15. The Art of Love

In-Laws and Outlaws: The Art of Love

"Attack when they are unprepared, make your move when they do not expect it." – Sun Zi, "Strategic Assessments", _The Art of War_ (Trans: Thomas Cleary)

* * *

A commotion that demonstrated a flair for theatricality broke out in front of the newly designated nuptial chamber. Smoke bombs and flares apparently in competition with firecrackers released earlier, whizzed in from different directions calculated to cause confusion. For the guests especially Prince Xiang and the great general, their concern was first and foremost for the newly wedded couple. At the first sign of trouble, both men swung promptly into action as befitting their military stature. The great general reached for his weapon of choice and another that he had hidden behind a large cabinet in the great hall the night before. As he ran out, he threw the spare sword over to Prince Xiang and motioned for him to follow.

"There's an attack in progress at the back of the manor. We need to head there now."

"You don't seem surprised."

"Yue'er was expecting it."

"And he didn't think it necessary to inform me?" The prince was a little put out.

"He didn't want the perpetrators alerted beforehand or the guests unduly alarmed. It was an opportunity to flush out certain individuals who were living in the shadows."

"Who are these people?"

"He wasn't sure. Those who might want revenge for the fallout from the corruption scandal perhaps. Or a love rival that suffered major losses on the battlefield."

The prince did not mask his astonishment. "Yan Xun? He's here in Chang'an?"

"After tonight, there are good reasons to think he might be."

"Why doesn't anybody tell me anything?"

Following instructions given out before the celebrations, the Yue guards were evacuating revellers who were in various stages of drunkenness, from the great hall. The great general and Prince Yuan Che took a different turn and a different route, masking their faces with their sleeves. They wove through the smokescreen while brandishing their swords in readiness for possible hidden weapons. Now that they had willingly trapped themselves inside the maze of haze, both were on constant alert to make sense of the chaos around them.

The general was the first to arrive at the wedding chamber and immediately caught sight of the outlawed prince of Yanbei searching high and low around the room. Without a single moment's hesitation, the general unsheathed his sword, and hurtled towards the interloper in a quick swinging blade attack meant to disable one's opponent rather than execute them. Within inches of being stabbed on his left shoulder, Yan Xun sidestepped in time to avoid contact with the tip of the blade. The element of surprise now gone, Yuwen Xuan spun his sword and increased the speed of his movements. Yan Xun pivoted quickly and replied with his sword, deflecting each move aimed at him at equal speed. The two men dived around the room plunging and leaping in various offensive and defensive positions.

"You shouldn't be here, Your Highness. This should be a happy day for the newly married couple. It shouldn't be marred by revenge."

"I'm only here for A'Chu." Yanbei's former prince said as he leapt to dodge the general's maneouvres. "Where is she?"

"She's a married woman now. Leave here while you can."

Yan Xun was obstinate in his refusal to concede. "She's made an error in judgment. I've come to save her from making the biggest mistake of her life."

"The mistake is yours by coming here."

At this juncture Prince Xiang joined in the fracas and for Yan Xun to deal with two opponents meant factoring in an extra layer of complexity. In a ploy that caught the interloper off guard, the general flew towards him with an overhead assault, allowing the Prince Xiang to nick Yan Xun in the arm. By this time, the smokescreen was gradually dissipating and with that the early advantage that Yan Xun had been relying on.

"Give it up, Yan Xun," said Prince Yuan Che. "Don't make it harder on yourself. Do everyone a favour and end this war by surrendering."

Yan Xun was in no mind to give up, fighting back tooth and nail, grimacing through his injuries. It was a testimony to his resilience that he was barely able to fend off his opponents but persisting.

Thinking that it was time to put an end to this unwelcomed gambol, the general, jumped into the air, plunged his sword to execute a single downward movement, and slashed Yan Xun in the shoulder. Flinching from the pain, the blade fell from the prince's hand.

"It doesn't give me any pleasure to do this, Yan Xun," The general eyed the younger man gravely. "I knew your father well. He was an excellent man that didn't deserve to die the way he did. If he could see what you've become, it would break his heart."

Yan Xun smirked and then cracked a hollow laugh. He collapsed to the ground clutching his wounded shoulder and continued laughing defiantly. However, before anyone could say another word, another smoke bomb sank into the middle of the fray. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, a masked figure dove into the middle of the gathering and grabbed Yan Xun out before anyone could react.

Inside the nuptial chamber some time earlier, the groom had reached for a lever at the side of the bed and activated it as soon as sounds of an incursion reached his ears. Clearly, he had been prepared for such an eventuality. The bottom of the bed swung open leading into a makeshift chute that instantly transported the newly weds to what was presumably the start of a dimly lit tunnel. The groom lit a small torch and it was clear that the tunnel was nothing more than a crawlspace.

The new bride was in a daze from the short ride. "Yuwen Yue, what just happened here?" No one had warned her that such a development was on the cards.

"Follow me," The groom barked, "Grab on to my legs and follow behind. We'll have to crawl out of here with our hands and knees. Get down on your chest. Stay low. Regrettably, there wasn't much time to dig a bigger tunnel."

Many things made more sense to the bride now although she had not yet been fully apprised of the entire situation. "So this is why you insisted on building a new nuptial chamber."

"Hush…" The bridegroom cautioned. "Now's not the time for talking. There's a bit of distance to cover."

The time it took to inch through what was essentially a rabbit hole made it appear that the distance was much longer than it was. It was certainly not the position the bride was expecting to be in on her wedding night ploughing through freshly dug earth in her night undergarments. Face to face with the ground moving her arms and legs like a soldier in training, she naturally wondered what misadventure her newly minted husband had got her into this time. Still she was hopeful that there was some explicable rationale in the offing. Sighs of relief were exchanged between them when they finally reached the end and were able to take gasps of the cool air that greeted them in the great outdoors.

"What the devil is going on?" She demanded while flicking off grass and soil from her arms and legs.

The groom handed the bride some spare clothing that he had hidden in a nearby shrubbery. "I'll explain later. Our driver's waiting for us."

* * *

 _Two weeks earlier…_

Yuwen Yue did something he'd never imagined doing. He took his father into his confidence. Desperate times apparently did call for desperate measures.

Yuwen Xuan did not react immediately, musing over the ramifications before saying, "Yue'er, are you sure about this? Are you certain that it's Yan Xun?"

The young master of the manor hesitated then said. "I cannot be absolutely certain but there are too many features that point in that direction for me to ignore."

He had expected some level of scepticism but his father's reasonable acceptance of his opinions diffused a potentially obligatory confrontation.

"It might just be some of the court officials making things uncomfortable for you after the corruption scandal." His father suggested.

"I had considered that possibility but with the whereabouts of Princess Xiao Yu unknown at this stage, my risk assessment points to Yan Xun as a possible threat."

"Have you considered postponing the wedding?"

"That's not an option. Besides, it wouldn't matter because it could be the wedding that's being targeted. Whether it's tomorrow or next week or next year, he'll find a way to be disruptive if that's his ultimate goal."

"That's assuming it's Yan Xun."

"Yes." The young master conceded the point.

Another thought occurred to the general. "Why aren't you taking active steps to look for him if you think he's nearby?"

"Because I suspect he will reveal himself in due course… and it's best not to strike the grass and alert the snake. But more importantly, I don't want Xing'er to know."

"Why not?"

"I can't pinpoint… why… exactly." The son spoke diffidently not wishing to appear weak in front of his father. "Perhaps it's because I'm afraid that she will try to confront him. Maybe I'm afraid that he will talk her into leaving with him by playing to her protective instincts… Maybe at the back of my mind, there's that niggling feeling that she would rather be elsewhere."

"Are you feeling insecure?" The father asked.

"Perhaps that's what it is. Xing'er would probably call it jealousy. Yue Qi thinks I'm just simply afraid."

"Some would say that they're all more or less the same thing."

"All I know is… that I'd rather she didn't see him again."

The father knew that he had to tread carefully in what he said next. It was clearly a sensitive subject with Yue'er. Their newly reestablished bond was as much as stake as anything else.

"Son, she came back with you. I don't doubt she loves you."

"Surprisingly, I don't either."

"But you're concerned because of what happened in the past that there are things that she prizes above love."

"Yes." Yuwen Yue was stunned how easily his father saw through the situation.

"She probably does. Which is why she's here."

"What are you saying?"

"Give her a chance, Yue'er, to be the woman you want her to be."

"The thing is, I don't want her to be any particular type of woman. I like her the way she is."

"But… you want her to stay with you unconditionally…. To give up some measure of freedom to be your wife and yet never lose her independent spirit."

"Can't that happen?"

"That's something you have to find out… and negotiate. This is what people who get married do in every single moment… of every single day."

"What if the endgame is something I'm not going to like?"

"Yue'er, there are many thing you aren't going to like in marriage but it doesn't have to be the end of the world or the end of the marriage. It all depends."

"On what?"

"You are an intelligent man, you'll work it out."

* * *

 _Ten days before the wedding…_

A short distance away from the Yuwen family burial lot, a small, simple gravestone was erected over a decade and a half ago. Carved on it was the name of a woman who had been unjustifiably disgraced in a family scandal. Consequently her body was never buried in the family plot. Scandal or not, she had been someone's woman and someone's mother. When no one else cared, the son had ensured that she had the best memorial stone that money could buy. On this very day, the family she left behind all those years ago had finally come together to pay tribute and honour her in a rare show of unity. As was customary, the oldest member of the party came forward first.

"Yu Lian, it's been too long. I have far too many regrets to name them all but you know my heart. You understood me better than anyone and what I had to do. For that I am eternally grateful. I've come here with our son today. We've also brought along our future daughter-in-law. Both are here to greet you and pay their respects."

The Great General stooped first and then let his knees fall onto the rocky ground that was his lady's final resting place. With the libation that he had brought along for the occasion, he moved his hand across the grave as the wine fell from the drinking cup. His future daughter-in-law took the role of the bystander, looking visibly moved by this very private occasion. The son picked up the wine jar, poured some in the cup and followed his father's lead. Nevertheless, whatever thoughts might have been churning inside him, not a word left his lips. It was left to the future daughter-in-law to articulate feelings that might have been shared by them.

"Auntie, Let me introduce myself. I am named Chu Qiao. I am very happy to finally meet you. Your son calls me Xing'er. For some reason he keeps insisting that I am the only woman for him, which is fortunate because I like him very much. I was once a slave in the Yuwen household but I ran away to find freedom and happiness. I found freedom but I didn't find the happiness I thought would come to me once I was free. Now I am back with the Yuwen family on an entirely different footing. It has been a long, circuitous road with many doubts and difficulties but I am back here to live together with your son. I don't know if I can make him happy as he deserves to be but I know this at least: I cannot be happy in a world where he's not around. Now that we've found each other again I am certain with all of my heart that this is my path. Please observe me carefully while we build our future together. I pray that I will not disappoint you."

She spoke as long as she could muster the courage to string words coherently together. Even before she reached the end of the monologue, she was barely holding it together. Yuwen Yue slipped his arm over Chu Qiao's shoulders as she was trying vainly to prevent the onslaught of tears from overwhelming her. Although his demeanour seemed unchanged by all the emotions expressed, the tears that were trickling down his cheeks were the window into his state of mind. Moved by the words of his future bride and the heartfelt sentiments behind them, he leaned over to whisper in her ears.

"Thank you." The tremor in his voice betrayed his innermost thoughts.

She gave him a watery smile as she wiped her tear stained face. "No, I'm the one who should thank you, Yuwen Yue."

Even while the young lovers were comforting one another, Yuwen Xuan was standing still staring into space, rooted to the ground, his mind transported elsewhere and to happier days. Lost in his thoughts, he was apparently oblivious to the intimate glances and gestures that the youngsters were sharing.

When the rest of the family intimated their wish to leave, the great general advised them to go on ahead. "Yue'er, I want to linger here with your mother. After all these years of running away from her, it's only right that I face her properly. Then only can the two of us be at peace."

Yuwen Yue nodded to show that he had heard. He clutched Chu Qiao's hand and said, "Xing'er, let's go somewhere else. There's a place I want to show you."

"Where?"

"It's somewhere that I used to go to with my mother."

Yuwen Yue led her down the slope as they trudged further down the hillside amidst the long grass. The entire landscape seemed to be a place long forgotten by people. It was quiet and secluded. In such a setting, Yuwen Yue revelled in the pleasure of holding Xing'er's hand and was now making a regular habit of it. The intimacy that he had craved for so long was now apparently his for the taking. Luckily, the lady did not object. As they strolled closer to their destination, memories of his childhood that he had set aside began flooding his mind. These were accompanied by a peculiar, unexpected yearning to share them with Xing'er. She wisely made no mention of this surprising side to Yuwen Yue who was to her mind acting like a different man. Secretly she was delighted to be privy to a Yuwen Yue playing the part of a devoted lover laying waste to his reputation as an icy heap.

Xing'er's reaction when they arrived at his childhood haunt was exactly as he had hoped. She gasped in delight. Her eyes were rounder and bigger than usual. If there had been any part of him that had doubts about his choice of a life partner, they were all swept away by the squeals of pleasure that escaped her lips.

"Yuwen Yue, you've been hiding this place from me." _The view is… perfection. It must be heaven… on earth._

"Not intentionally. I've just never had the time. To be honest, I haven't been down here myself for almost 10 years."

"It's glorious," The lady was dancing around like a child in a playground, taking in the fresh air and the sunshine that lovingly swaddled the landscape. "And this lake, so serene and inviting. I could live here forever."

Yuwen Yue picked up a pebble and caused it to skip on the surface of the water. The result was a gentle ripple that formed around the pebble before it sank into the water. "If you wanted to, we could. I could build a cottage here." He offered, inwardly ecstatic at her reaction.

"Really? You'd do that for me?" The lady's eyes grew wide with glee. "That would be wonderful."

"But I doubt you'd be content to stay put." The young master tried not to be too carried away. "After a year, maybe two, you'd get itchy feet."

"I don't know. I think I could be convinced to stay." Xing'er twirled around happily with her arms wide open. "This is the kind of place I've only always dreamt of."

Caught up in her own excitement and drawn into playfulness, she threw off her boots and outer garment and ran into the water, leaping in and out of it it like a child's that been let lose after being confined for days.

Still nearby Yuwen Yue continued with his stone skipping watching her at the corner of his eye. Her joy was a balm and whatever doubts he had about their future disappeared in an instant. But this sudden surge of emotion caused him to drop his guard, leaving him unprepared for what came next. As if struck by a sudden fit of madness, Xing'er watched him with a mischievous gleam as an idea took shape in her mind. While his mind was elsewhere, she started splashing him merrily drawing him into her web. Outwardly he went through the motions of trying not to get wet but in reality he wasn't trying very hard at all. As soon as the opportunity arose, he retaliated with his own series of splashing assaults. This heralded the start to a major water battle, which neither of them seemed to mind losing.

After several bouts of going head to head, they arrived at an impasse. Finally wearied by their exertions, they called a truce and headed for dry ground. At some distance from the lake they collapsed onto the grass soaked from the neck down. They turned to face the sky content to dry off as the sun bore down on their wet bodies and wet clothes infusing them with the right amount of warmth. Forgetting for a moment the world that they'd left behind them, they basked in the glow of the morning sun, laying side by side, holding hands in companionable silence.

After wondering how long it had been since she felt this way, Chu Qiao spoke.

"Well, it's a relief to see that you know how to have fun too."

"Weren't you the one who called me a prankster?"

"Well, that's a bit different. You were on official court business, Mr Spymaster.

"I wasn't always a spy master. I wasn't always the successor to Eyes of God."

"Sometimes it's hard to believe that you were ever a boy with a mother."

"Well, it's no harder than believing that you had a mother."

Her train of thought brought her to the next question. "Do you miss her? Your mother, I mean?"

"Sometimes. More when I was younger."

"What's your favourite memory of your mother?"

"Sewing under that weeping willow over there while I was playing near the lake."

"At least you remember your mother. I don't remember mine much. Just fragments here and there." A note of regret rang out as she spoke. "And the scraps that I remember of her involve us running, hiding and training. She's there in my mind as images but I have no emotional connection to her. She could well be a teacher for all I know."

"When you first came to me, Yue Qi and I speculated that you could be Luo He's daughter. Your inner energy was phenomenal for someone who claimed to be just a slave."

"I had no memory of her then."

"Don't you want to know more about your mother?"

"Mr Wu filled in all the necessary gaps about her history with the _jiang hu_ spy network the last time I saw him. He told me how I came to possess Feng Yun Ling or the ice technique. But those things don't matter to me."

"I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about the woman who gave birth to you. Don't you want to know something about the woman? She may have been quite an important figure in _jiang hu_ but she was a mother too."

"I am curious but I've been too busy looking after you to think about all that."

The young master rolled his eyes. "So I'm to blame now, eh?"

"Of course, you're my world now."

Young Master Yue smiled contentedly. Some moments later he said, "Xing'er, would you like to go and find your mother?"

"Find my mother? But she's…"

"Yes, yes… I know she's dead. But I was wondering if after the wedding, we shouldn't go to Yanbei and trace your mother's footsteps. Just the two of us wandering around _jiang hu_ for as long as you like."

The lady was astonished. "Really?" She turned to face him. "Are you serious?"

"Why would I joke about something like this? I want to live a long time with you."

"But what about your responsibilities here?"

"I'm sure Yue Qi can handle things on his own for a while. He knows how things work and the contacts. Grandfather is around too."

"Yuwen Yue, are you sure we can do this?"

"I wouldn't have said anything if I didn't think so. Besides, there are things about your past I am curious about."

Excited beyond words, Xing'er fell on top of him delightedly, looked him in the eye and planted a quick peck on his lips. "This is why I like you so much. You know exactly what I want even before I do."

"I'm glad I can be useful," The young master said wryly. "Especially if it means being seduced by you."

"Who's seducing you?" The lady put on her most petulant expression but she showed no sign of exculpating herself. She was snugly comfortable leaning against his chest and the warmth of being close to the man she loved was too irresistible to let go.

Surrounded by the beauty of nature and wrapped in the arms of a woman, Young Master Yue's cup was full and overflowing. Beset by notions common to his sex that were egging him on, he was overwhelmed by an incredible urge to kiss her. Raising himself slightly, he deftly tipped Xing'er to the ground and maneuvered himself into a position where their relative positions were now reversed. Xing'er who was blithely drifting off was startled out of her daydream. Their eyes locked and the gaze that lingered between them signalled a tacit agreement to take their intimacy further. The young master leaned in slowly and his lady closed her eyes in anticipation. Just as his lips were an inch above hers, out of the corner of his eye he saw something darting across the landscape. He froze and looked around. When he discerned an irregular shadow cast around the willow tree, his senses became alert.

"What's wrong?" Xing'er opened her eyes when the kiss she was expecting failed to materialize.

"I thought I saw someone behind the willow tree."

"Did you?" Xing'er jumped up quickly and dusted off, a little embarrassed at the thought that someone might have intruded into a private moment. "I thought no one else came to this place."

"No one usually does. Could have been my imagination."

"Stop scaring me."

"Anyway, this is a good time as any to leave." Yuwen Yue sounded unusually sheepish. "The midday meal should be ready soon."

As they were both strolling towards Qing Shan Yuan, Yuwen Yue would glance over his shoulders from time to time. Observing this, Xing'er would alternate between teasing him for having a guilty conscience or mocking him for being shy about public displays of affection. Both accusations he denied vehemently. While he made a show of being affronted during their usual banter, the sensation that they were being stalked never quite left him even when they arrived back at the manor.

* * *

Elsewhere not so far away, Xiao Yu was frustrated with her co-conspirator. "Why are you so obsessed with Chu Qiao? She doesn't love you; she doesn't care about what happens to you. I think she made that abundantly clear when she ran off with Yuwen Yue."

"It's a temporary delusion. He's got her mesmerized. She'll come round once I explain everything."

Having spent more than enough time with Yan Xun lately, Xiao Yu had the sense to keep her thoughts to herself this time. _You're the one who's deluded_.

"What I saw today was no temporary delusion. What they have… is the _real_ thing…" was Xiao Yu's grudging assessment.

To her mind Yan Xun was eerily adamant about his judgment. "She was the only one who understood my pain and why I had to choose this road. Without her, the war is meaningless."

Xiao Yu was exasperated. It was becoming obvious that reasoning with Yan Xun was a lost cause. "Let's strike now. While everyone is still in the dark. Even if we can't kill them, we can do some serious damage." The princess of Liang was eager to conclude her arrangement with her increasingly unreliable collaborator as soon as possible. "If we get rid of Yuwen Yue, there will be no more serious threat to you or to Liang. It's doable. You and I can do. I still have my network to call on and you have men still loyal to you that you can bring in."

"No. We wait until the wedding. We'll strike then."

"Why does it have to be the wedding? It might be too late then."

"It's not enough that we eliminate Yuwen Yue. He needs to feel the pain of losing something just when it's within his grasp. He needs to go through what I've been through."

"So this is personal?" _This is going to be a serious problem._

"Of course it's personal. He stole the woman I cared most about from me. It would be an injustice to let him get away with it."

 _From what I heard, she walked away from you willingly._

Xiao Yu surmised that the whole enterprise would fall apart even before it began. She didn't regret her arrangement with Yan Xun. It bought her time and gave her an opportunity. But she would have to make her own contingency plan.

* * *

 _Five days before the wedding…_

Chu Qiao was pleased to see He Xiao. She'd missed his optimistic, good-natured disposition these many weeks past. In general, she was missing the presence of the Xiuli battalion, as they'd been an anchor in turbulent times… something to cling to, fight for when hardly anything made sense. Some of them had remained in Chang'an in different capacities but the dynamic that they once shared had fragmented with the departure of He Xiao and other Xiuli soldiers to Yanbei. Yuwen Yue had recalled him back to Chang'an temporarily to report on the situation surrounding Yuan Song's continued occupation of Meilin Pass and the area south of the Xiuli mountains. Chu Qiao was eager to converse with him and to get a first-hand assessment of the situation there.

"I think the young master intends to send me on some kind of secret mission as well so I'm here to be briefed on it."

"It's not a suicide mission I hope." She asked half-jokingly.

"No, nothing like that."

"I hope he's not working you too hard and taking advantage of your enthusiasm."

"Frankly, I'm glad to be deployed on difficult missions, Lady Chu. And it tells me that Young Master Yue trusts me."

"You're certain you have no qualms working against Yan Xun?"

"Not in the slightest. I volunteered for the mission in the first place. Master Yue wants this war to end as much as I do. And the only way to end it decisively is to take Yan Xun out of the equation. To be honest, Yan Xun has lost all sense of proportion. He doesn't seem to be considering the welfare of the commoners. We see a lot of refugees escape across the border starving to death because all food supplies have been directed to rebuilding his army. I'm beginning to think that he doesn't care what happens to Yanbei as long as he has his revenge."

"He did once. In happier times, returning to Yanbei was all he could talk about. He even managed to convince me that it was heaven on earth."

"It was a beautiful place once. To the extent that Marquise Yan governed well, it was a place that enjoyed relative peace. But Yan Xun left at a young age and he wasn't aware of the political intrigues that went on when he went to Chang'an as a hostage. I don't think the Marquise or his wife would have told him any of that. It's not surprising that he had an idealized view of Yanbei especially when he was actively denigrated in Wei."

"Yuwen Yue once said that as long as there are people, there will always be conflict."

"It's true. He would know best growing up in Chang'an among the noble families and being actively involved in court politics here."

"So what's this new mission he has lined up for you?"

"He hasn't said anything yet. But I think he's also just being considerate. He knew you would want me here and that I would want to be part of your special day to personally wish you well."

Chu Qiao beamed with pleasure. That man was quietly considerate which was a vital part of the attraction. He knew that she was missing He Xiao and the others and this was his way of keeping those old relationships alive. But she also had the strongest feeling that there was something He Xiao wasn't telling her. In the last two weeks, she sensed that Yuwen Yue was reorganizing people and remobilizing them behind the scenes for some major operation that she hadn't been asked to be a part of. Though her curiosity was aroused, she didn't want to put He Xiao on the spot to reveal vital information about a covert operation so she veered the conversation towards personal matters instead.

"Are you getting on well with your colleagues in Yanbei?"

"Very well. It's not like being with all the Xiuli battalion of course but morale is good and everyone respects Prince Yu."

"How's Meng Feng? I haven't heard anything about her since you two were deployed back to Yanbei."

"She's very well. We work together quite often. She's very professional and in covert operations she's worth the weight of 50 soldiers."

"Oh… really?" Chu Qiao grinned at hearing the high praise coming from He Xiao. "So, it's just a professional relationship?"

"Yes… absolutely." It then occurred to He Xiao what his former commanding officer was implying and looked embarrassed. "Lady Chu, a stupid and clumsy soldier like me, what do I know about courting women? Anyway, we are just colleagues."

"I see." Chu Qiao clucked sceptically. "Well, if you need someone to put a good word in for you, let me know."

"It's purely professional, my lady. Really. Besides, she spends a lot more time with Prince Yu than with me."

"Well, don't tarry. You're not getting any younger and you should be thinking about marriage."

Chu Qiao was in a happy mood. Affected by the upcoming nuptials, she was inclined to spread the cheer around. With her own happiness practically guaranteed, she was utterly convinced that the pleasures love was within everyone's reach. It had become her firm belief that everyone was one step away from connubial bliss if only they would act on it. On this occasion He Xiao was loathed to correct her because it would have been much harder lying to her about why he was really in Chang'an. He'd managed to sidestep the earlier question but if she had probed any further, he didn't know how much longer he would have held out.

* * *

 _The Wedding Night_

He Xiao was at the helm of the carriage flicking the reins to hasten the horse at his disposal. Chu Qiao and Yuwen Yue had made a dash for it after escaping through the freshly dug tunnel linked to the secret passage in the newly refurbished nuptial chamber. Inside the carriage the newly wedded couple were experiencing a bumpy start to their marriage, riding over rocky terrain and having their first argument as husband and wife.

"Yuwen Yue, this is no way to treat a woman on her wedding night. It's simply… inauspicious. You could have given me some warning at least." The new bride was adjusting the intricacies of her garment while trying not to fall off the seat. "After all the trouble you took with a showy wedding, this feels absurdly like an elopement."

"The idea was that everyone would carry on as normal in blissful ignorance of anything sinister occurring. We couldn't let the intruders catch on that we knew about their plot."

"But why the wedding night? Why not before? Or after?"

"It had to be the wedding night."

"Why?"

"The instigator is someone we both know."

"Who?"

"Yan Xun."

"Oh…" She opened mouth in surprise and instantly closed it again. "So he's here, in Chang'an?"

"Yes. We can be completely certain of that now."

"But why didn't you tell me?"

"To be honest, I wasn't sure how you'd react" Yuwen Yue said quietly. "I still don't."

Yuwen Yue said no more. Instead he faced her with a hard-to-decipher burning intensity. She couldn't tell from his expression if fear, excitement or an accusation was at the core of it or what it was he was wanting from her. She presumed at the very worst, that fear that was driving force.

"Yuwen Yue…" An air of melancholy drew across Chu Qiao's eyes. "After all this time, don't you trust me? Don't you believe in my love for you?" She had an inkling that at the very heart of this confrontation came down to her past choices. They were on the edge of some unknown precipice. What they said or didn't say would shatter their newfound happiness in a single blow.

His eyes ever watchful, ever probing held a certain terrifying fascination. "It isn't a matter of trust, Xing'er. Or even of love. If that's the case, everything would be resolved so easily."

Witnessing the growing fear in her eyes, the young master's fingers caressed her cheeks gently. "You and I have an undeniably complicated history with Yan Xun. We were all caught in a whirlwind of events beyond our control and barely survived under its cloud. But following that we all made choices that hurt one another… and many others. Unintentional or otherwise. We will have to find a way to live with those as well."

The implications of Yuwen Yue's words soon dawned on Xing'er. "You think he's come for me."

Yuwen Yue relaxed his gaze and said cryptically. "I think there are unresolved issues between the two of you."

"I thought I made it very clear where I stood that day on the icy lake." The new bride was struggling to fight off a growing feeling of defensiveness.

"In your mind perhaps but not in his." Yuwen Yue noted calmly. "I suppose he blames me for coming between the two of you. Perhaps I did but I don't regret anything I did to protect you."

The lack of bitterness in his attitude had a disarming effect on Chu Qiao who until that point was afflicted with a gnawing insecurity that Yuwen Yue was accusing her double mindedness. That feeling vanished and she regained her composure. She concluded reasonably that there was more behind his words than mere jealousy or wanting certain wrongs redressed.

"If I had made a different choice that day on the tower pavilion or if I had listened to you when you tried to stop me from being involved with Yan Xun's coup, things might have been different." She conceded.

Yuwen Yue smiled and nodded thoughtfully. "Quite likely. But would you have done so? We were both different people then. We had different priorities."

Inwardly Chu Qiao was relieved at his answer though on the surface she lashed out. "Why do you always manage to sound sensible even when you do the wrong thing? A minute ago I was ready to jump at your throat for manipulation and jealousy."

"Old habits die hard. Guilty as charged. But if there's any jealousy on my part it's that he had the fortune of spending every single day of 3 years with you while all that time I was pining for you, believing you to be dead."

"I'm sorry." The lady blurted with genuine remorse.

"On hindsight, there's nothing to be sorry about. I made the mistake of letting go of you too easily. Besides, those three years were crucial in shaping what I've come to see as important."

Although she was pacified somewhat by his reasoning and reasonableness, the new wife refused to budge on the original offence. "I still think you should have told me. It feels like you didn't trust me enough."

Yuwen Yue understood that it could be a sore point between them. The mistakes of the past would not be erased by the stroke of a brush or the pleasures of a wedding night. How he handled this would be a test of his mettle as a husband and a man.

"I suppose you won't believe me if I said that I really wanted to prevent a potentially explosive situation from getting out of control," said the young master pragmatically.

"You don't really believe that Yan Xun would really try to kill us."

"You, no. But me, well, let's just say it won't be the first time."

"And you think he chose our wedding day on purpose?"

"He was watching for a while. He could have taken action sooner particularly at times when there were fewer people around but he chose to make his move today. He's making a point."

"So we're running away from him?"

"That would be pointless. No, we're just re-setting the terms of engagement."

"Engagement for what?"

"An unavoidable confrontation."

* * *

A' Jing applied ointment to the cuts and bruises that Yan Xun had sustained in his altercation at Qing Shan Yuan. On the table was a bowl of decocted herbal mixture that he'd prepared earlier to boost the prince's internal strength. Though not saying much about anything, he was deeply concerned about the added injuries particularly when the prince had barely recovered from older ones. It was not his place to speak and chide his master for what any sensible person could see was a needlessly reckless act. However, there was someone else present in the room that was less reticent… less afraid to put Yan Xun in his place.

"We should have struck when I said to. Once again, you've underestimated Yuwen Yue's ability. You allowed your pride and emotions to dictate your actions."

The princess, Xiao Yu was pacing up and down the hideout with obvious impatience.

Although he did not disagree, A'Jing spoke in defence of his lord, "Would it have made any difference? Yuwen Yue had already cottoned on to our presence weeks ago."

"The difference would be an increased chance of success with him having reduced preparation time." The princess stared angrily at Yan Xun. "Now, of course, it seems that he not only knew that he was being watched but he's had time to strategize the encounter in his favour. This changes everything."

For the first time in this conversation, Yan Xun spoke. "Well, this is why I asked you to take the children from Hong Shan Yuan as hostage. They won't act rashly while we have them."

"Don't be too sure. These hostages could become a liability."

A'Jing who hadn't warmed up to the princess to begin with was developing an intense dislike for her She was crossing the line as far as he was concerned. "Leave then. We don't need you." A'Jing made no attempt to conceal his contempt.

His lord motioned for his subordinate to stand down. "The princess Xiao Yu and I have an ongoing arrangement. Until I get what I want, she's not going anywhere."

"Believe me, Yan Xun, there's nothing more I'd like than for you to get what you want because it will mean that I will get what I want. I certainly don't want to be here longer than I have to."

"They should be here soon. Be patient."

As soon as he said that, an arrow from a crossbow flew through the window into the room and struck the wall. A note was attached to it.

"Trust Yuwen Yue to take control of the situation." The princess remarked with no small amount of irony. "So now what?"

A'Jing walked over to the arrow, pulled it out and untied the message attached to it. He took it and gave it to Yan Xun to read.

"They want to negotiate the release of the children," murmured the outlawed prince.

"You believe it?" Xiao Yu said sceptically.

"They could have rushed the safe house if they wanted to."

"Send your batman out just in case they decide to pull a fast one."

If looks could kill, A'Jing's glare would have rendered Xiao Yu a candidate for the graveyard.

"A'Jing, go, do as she says. Nothing will happen. A'Chu won't do anything to you."

The loyal batman brightened immediately. "Miss A'Chu is here?"

* * *

It became all too clear to Chu Qiao that the entire operation had been weeks in the making. Yuwen Yue may have been the devoted lover in private but his acuity and powers of observation never left him once. His skills as the master of spies had served him well. The young master had co-opted Lin Ke's old safe house and made it a dispatch and logistics headquarters. Supplies, weapons and charts cluttered the room. The entire place looked like a battle room. Now, she was only too eager to play her part if for no other reason than to prove once and for all her commitment to their future together.

"Let me do this, Yuwen Yue, I will convince Yan Xun to let them go."

"No, it's too dangerous."

"You know better than anyone I have the best chance of anyone of us to get those children out alive."

"If it were just about the children, I wouldn't disagree."

Chu Qiao grasped both his hands and looked at him directly, "You need to trust me and let me do this."

"He's not the man he once was…"

"And nobody knows that better than me." She insisted.

The young master drew his lady to himself and locked her in a desperate embrace. "I just wish there was another way that didn't involve you talking to him."

"But isn't that what you wanted? For us to confront each other?"

"It's not what I wanted. It's what I _knew_ had to happen."

Still wrapped inside his arms, Chu Qiao looked up and smiled, "I like it when my all-knowing husband shows a little jealousy. It makes him more human."

The young master fingered her hair lovingly. "At least My Lady Wife acknowledges me as her husband. I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever get the respect I deserve."

She slapped in friendly fashioned across his chest. "There's no one I respect more… or care for more in this world. Remember that… My Husband."

The last part of that comment was accompanied by a jab to his forehead.

The young husband tightened his embrace around his new wife with no thought of letting go. "I really like the sound of that, Chu Qiao, daughter of Luo He." He planted a light kiss on her forehead. "I like you very much too."

"You've never called me Chu Qiao before."

"Only this once… just this once."

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

 _This chapter highlights again for me the many difficulties of translating Chinese concepts into English. I was tempted at one point during the writing of this story to re-translate "Eyes of God" into "Eyes of Heaven" but refrained because it has now more or less become established canon. I still adamantly refuse to translate "jiang hu" as "underground" for a whole range of reasons and have left it as is. On the positive side I enjoyed playing with the meanings behind "fu ren" (wife, My Lady, Mrs) as it relates to the transitioning dynamic between Yuwen Yue and Chu Qiao._

 _XingYue has now officially become my favourite pairing to write for in my years of writing fanfiction. Their banter is just gloriously fun to think up and recreate. One of the things that the drama did get right was the repartee between Chu Qiao and Yuwen Yue which was miles ahead anything they gave to Chu Qiao and Yan Xun. If you thought it was good in English, it was even better in Chinese. The post-spa verbal sparring was delightful stuff._

 _When I began this story, in my head, I had always envisaged getting to this point but the journey took a lot longer to complete than I expected. Because the actual drama "resolution" was such a higgledy-piggledy mess, there were always these questions at the back of my mind about why Xing'er hung around Yan Xun as long as she did while her heart was elsewhere and steering her elsewhere. A lot of the answers that came out of the show did make sense to me at the time but I wanted to explore all of that much further here. The conversation she had with Yan Xun in the final episode still leaves me somewhat dissatisfied (demonstrating the show's propensity of information dumping) and it's always something I felt that I had to explore._

 _This was supposed to be the final chapter but due to a bit of self-indulgence it became unwieldy so I decided to cut it up and give myself some room to think and breath. Looking forward to hearing your comments on this chapter. Be kind, please. :D_


	16. The Art of Making Love Work

In-Laws and Outlaws: The Art of Making Love… Work

"Therefore a victorious army first wins and then seeks battle; a defeated army first battles and then seeks victory." - Sun Zi, "Formation", _The Art of War_ (Trans: Thomas Cleary)

* * *

A'Jing could barely make her out from a distance as she sashayed towards him. As she came closer, he could see that her bearing was different and held a otherworldly beauty. But she wasn't alone. It was the other man in her life, the one they call Yuwen Yue. A'Jing had only seen him once before… at the icy lake. He was supposed to have died there but by a sheer miracle, Miss A'Chu was able to save his life. Rumours took flight later that she was the daughter of a _jiang hu_ personality who had commanded spies. She had inherited her mother's ice technique that had lain dormant until that fateful day. In an irony of fate, what His Highness had intended to be Yuwen Yue's watery grave became the basis of his salvation. The freezing water triggered Chu Qiao's internal energy and instantly transformed her into a formidable military force. A'Jing would never forget what he saw with his own eyes for as long as he lived. The entire sheet of ice covering the lake cracked like shattered glass and the troops unfortunate enough to be dispatched at that exact moment tumbled like helpless rats to their frigid end. Prince Yan Xun stood afar from the safety of his hillside vantage point like a puppet master overseeing soldier after soldier falling to their deaths. Emotionless and grave, he had made no effort to throw out a lifeline in a last minute ditch to salvage anything from the ensuing catastrophe.

Miss A'Chu bore a different aura… a necromantic-like, pulsating glow enveloped her as she emerged from the water… and while she shot to the surface with that man, Yuwen Yue in tow. Something incredible was taking place… a power… that could do irreparable damage was on display. A'Jing recalled being in petrified awe at the time.

It was never his place to approve or disapprove of His Highness' actions. It wasn't even his place to question Prince Yan Xun's decisions. He was someone who knew his place and did what he was told. A'Jing had always liked Miss A'Chu. She never put on airs like many women of status did. Even when Prince Yan Xun singled her out for special regard, she was never arrogant with the rank and file. The prince's former cook had always secretly hoped that she would marry His Highness and make him happy. He was convinced that if anyone could make Prince Yan Xun happy it would be this strong-willed, intrepid woman. Even so he had always harboured a vague impression at the back of his mind that Miss A'Chu's affections for his lord were not equal to his.

As they continued to close in on the hideout, he squinted with the aid of his lamp to make a study of the man who was accompanying her. He was curious about the sort of man that would hold such sway over an uncompromising woman like Miss A'Chu.

 _So this is the man that Miss A'Chu abandoned His Highness and all of Yanbei for. What sort of a man is he?_

There was no doubt he wore a noble bearing and a penetrating stare. Like his own lord, this Yuwen Yue fellow had a face that was difficult to read. Was he angry? Was he raring for a fight? A'Jing had to be on his guard and ready for anything.

"It's A'Jing." The lady declared as they got within several yards of him.

"Miss A'Chu. You found us."

"Where's Yan Xun?" She seemed to be in an amiable mood.

"His Highness is inside. He will be happy to see you."

The man accompanying Miss A'Chu grunted. "I'm sure. Let's go in."

"I don't know who you are, sir. But His Highness specifically requested that only Miss A'Chu be allowed in."

The man picked A'Jing up by the scruff of his neck and shook him for effect, "I am her husband. And who are you?"

"Yuwen Yue, you are scaring him. A'Jing is harmless and he's just the messenger. Put him down."

The husband grabbed A'Jing and threw him to one side and slammed his fists on the door several times. "Yan Xun, open up!"

"Honestly, aren't you taking the jealous husband role just a bit too far?"

"Well, if I don't take it far enough, you'd be complaining I didn't care, or that I was too complacent. Then when we are in a middle of big argument, you'll dredge this up for the umpteenth time to prove your point."

Chu Qiao grinned. There were certainly perks to marrying an intelligent man.

The hinges on the door creaked, as it swung open. Yan Xun was standing at the entrance expectantly. He cracked a smile when his eyes fell on Chu Qiao.

"A'Chu…" Before the outlawed prince could say anything further, Yuwen Yue landed a right hook on Yan Xun's cheek.

"Yuwen Yue! What do you think you are doing?" His wife turned to him indignantly.

 _He's really taking things a bit too far._

Looking at him, Chu Qiao knew he wasn't just playing the part to perfection. The stiffening of his jaw and the tension around his eyes clearly demonstrated the anger that was simmering beneath the surface.

Yuwen Yue was uncharacteristically outraged. "I'm letting him off very lightly for disrupting my wedding day."

"Alright, let me take it over from here." His wife was scarcely able to keep the giggles at bay.

"Keep the Can Hong sword beside you at all times." The husband barked before striding off in the opposite direction.

Aside from all the other injuries he was already nursing, Yan Xun now had one more to worry about. The side of his mouth was bleeding.

* * *

When Chu Qiao walked through the door, she wasn't sure what to expect. Yan Xun seemed mightily pleased to see her and was behaving as if nothing had changed between them. It was as if the icy lake incident didn't happen… that she hadn't betrayed him or even that she'd been with Yuwen Yue for the past few months. There was no hint of anger or resentment. He greeted her as if they had never parted ways.

The silence gradually became unpleasant. Despite having spent three years under the same roof fighting off a common enemy, Chu Qiao, it seemed, had nothing to say to him. It became clearer that their relationship had been fundamentally formed out of urgency… and there it remained. Out of sheer desperation, they had held on to each other in a bid to find reasons to live. She had pitied him, helped him survive the horrors of losing his loved ones so tragically. After Jiyou Platform he was no longer just the prince who once flirted and pestered her but overnight he became a _bona fide_ member of the oppressed… one of her people… Someone she was compelled to protect - a fragile spirit who had fallen victim to the machinations of court politics.

He needed her pity, she gave it and he hoped that love would come of it.

The last time they spoke face to face she finally saw what all her efforts had wrought. She taught him to live but she could not prevent his soul from descending into darkness. Pity had blinded her. She made excuses because he had suffered so grievously. She excused his excesses because she believed in their shared history. Once real power fell into his hands, he no longer stood among the oppressed. He was reborn as an avenging prince.

"Would you like some tea?" He asked her with all of the old affection.

"No, I'm not thirsty." She was polite but aloof.

Apparently it was a rhetorical question. He didn't seem to hear her or notice her detached manner. He went inside a makeshift kitchen and brought a pot and some teacups on a tray to the table.

While he was doing that, she scanned the room to locate clues to the children's whereabouts. They were nowhere to be seen.

"Where are the children?" She asked with concern, "Their safety is my main concern. It's the only reason why I'm here. We promised their parents that we would bring them home safely."

"Sit down, have some tea. The children are fine."

"I'm not here to have tea."

"What's your hurry?"

"I have a husband to go home to now. He's waiting for me." Indeed Chu Qiao was eager to leave. Aside from what she had said, Yan Xun's entire attitude was fraught with disturbing undercurrents. He was too calm, too at ease with the situation.

He seemed determined to be congenial. "Please sit and talk. We have much to say to each other."

Chu Qiao acknowledged the truth of the statement and recalled her conversation with Yuwen Yue. She hesitated before pushing her robe to one side, sat down at the table and placed the Can Hong sword in a prominent position beside her.

Yan Xun noticed the sword and gave a frown but quickly regained his composure.

"A'Chu… It's good to see you."

The lady was determined to be frank. "I wish I could say the same."

"It must be a surprise to see me here."

"Surprise doesn't quite explain it." The lady remarked dryly. "Why am I here, Yan Xun? Why are you here?"

"I've come to see you and take you back with me to Yanbei. We have a war to finish."

Chu Qiao was confounded. Not because he was intending to continue the war but that he somehow still believed that she would actually go along with his plans in spite of everything that happened.

"That's impossible. I'm married now as you've heard. I'm the enemy now. I was partly responsible for crippling your army, remember?"

"A temporary setback to be sure but I'm rebuilding my army." Yan Xun's confidence seemed out of place.

"Yan Xun, are you serious?"

"Of course, the work of getting rid of evil doers isn't over yet."

"But what about the people… the ordinary people who are suffering because of this standoff?"

"I'm doing it for them as much as anyone else so that in future they don't need to suffer under any kind of tyranny. They will enjoy the freedom that you and I talked about."

"Yan Xun… do you really believe that?"

"If I didn't, I wouldn't be here. That's why I need you. I need someone who thinks the same way I do, who shares my vision for the future."

Hearing Yan Xun speak in this way and in a different context sent her reeling. The niggling suspicion that she didn't know him as well as she thought was now given full flight. It was common knowledge that he had changed but Chu Qiao could see that it wasn't just vengeance driving him to act but a self-righteous, revolutionary impulse to reshape the world.

"Do we… really… have the same vision?" She stammered.

Yan Xun blanched. The disappointment in his eyes was unmistakable.

"Have you forgotten… the three years we spent together talking about how we were going to make a difference? Getting rid of corruption? Making Yanbei the perfect country with no class divide or slavery? Have you really forgotten?"

"I haven't forgotten. Yes… I remember those discussions but…"

"Well, I haven't changed my mind. This is what the war is all about. To cleanse the Central Plains of all its ugliness and transform it to something beautiful."

The lady cringed at her own naiveté. "If I had agree to all that then I was a fool because the consequences are too horrifying and the cost is too high."

"Someone has to do it."

"Who? You? Me? Who?" Chu Qiao wondered. "I don't know that I'm qualified."

Yan Xun had a ready answer. "Those of us who have suffered, who fell victim… We know what it's like. We have every right to…"

"Right? Who gave us this right? Are we better? Just because we've been victimized doesn't mean we know better."

"You've changed. The A'Chu that lived with me for three years…"

Chu Qiao interjected, "…was naïve and short-sighted. She didn't know anything. She wanted to live, she wanted you to live, Yan Xun but not at the expense of hundreds and thousands of ordinary people."

"You're singing a different tune now." Yan Xun's face had turned grim.

"People died because of my choices so yes, I've changed my mind."

"Was it that easy for you to change your mind?"

"If you think that it was easy, then you don't know me at all. I stayed on by your side despite my better judgment. I told myself you needed me. Everyone told me you needed me. Even Yuwen Yue told me to finish walking the path I'd started on. For a short time I really thought I could make a difference. But you went too far with your ambush and I'd reached my limit."

"It wasn't me, it was Cheng Yuan." Yan Xun murmured feebly knowing full well it was a prevarication.

"Did it matter? You kept him by your side because you needed him and he was someone who spoke your language. He knew exactly what you wanted and helped you get it done. You wanted me around to justify what you were doing when you knew that I would have a hard time with your plans."

"I cared about you, A'Chu. I thought I proved it time and time again."

"You did and that's what made it harder for me to see the truth and walk away sooner."

"So… it's true then… You never loved me."

"What difference would that have made?"

"You would have accepted my choices and eventually understood them. You'd be fighting alongside me against Wei and the evil that it represents. The A'Chu I fell in love with would never be content being the daughter-in-law of a noble family."

The last remark was calculated to sting and get under her skin. On some level Yan Xun was aware that he was fighting a losing battle. The A'Chu sitting in front of him was slipping away from his reach.

"Perhaps. Let's just say we both misunderstood each other. I thought I understood what you wanted and you thought you knew what I wanted. Apparently we were never really on the same page and now looking back, it explains why we clashed at every turn the moment we left Wei."

"It wasn't that. Yuwen Yue came between us. Things were going well between us. Everything was going according to plan."

"Was it? I started having doubts long before the battle at Hong Chuan City. When the whole plan to take back Yanbei began, I went with you because I thought you needed me. That was my biggest conceit. I thought I could set aside my feelings for Yuwen Yue because there were larger things at stake. What were my feelings compared to Yan Xun's challenges? That's what I told myself."

"A'Chu, I really believed you cared for me. Everything you did for me, for us gave me that impression. Didn't you choose to be by my side?"

"I clung on to the belief that you and I were fellow travellers for as long as I could. But lately I've come to realize that our relationship was based on unspoken assumptions. In the end I finally gave in to what my head was telling me the entire time. Perhaps I'm just a simple woman after all. I couldn't leave the man I loved to die fighting helplessly alone. I don't care about geopolitics. I don't want to change the world if it means killing innocents. I don't even know if I'm capable of saving two children much less save the world. I just want to save lives not take them."

"You've been spending too much time with Yuwen Yue. He's got to you."

"He got to me a long time ago. Long before Jiyou Platform. I know that now. I love him and I can't bear the thought of him not being a part of my life."

"I love you too." Yan Xun insisted.

"I am sure you think you do and I'm sure you mean it. But I can't love you in the way you want me to… to unconditionally accept all your choices and live with the consequences. It would mean destroying my own conscience and I can't do that even though I pity you."

"I don't want your pity."

"That's the problem, isn't it? Because at the end of the day, that's all that's left between us. Perhaps we were never really fellow travellers in the first place. Just two people who took shelter together to weather a storm but when it was time to get moving our paths diverged."

While listening to those remarks, Yan Xun's face registered confusion. "Do you really believe that?"

"The day I went back for the Xiuli battalion was the day you and I went our separate ways. I didn't see it then though I should have. If I had realized it then, a lot of people would not have needlessly lost their lives. I would have saved myself and many others from a great deal of heartache. It's funny, I spent so much of my time running from Yuwen Yue and we kept finding our way back to each other. I spent so much time trying to run to you but every time I tried, there was always something getting in the way."

Realising that he had lost any kind of traction at this point, Yan Xun began to plead. "A'Chu…"

Before he could say anything else Chu Qiao turned her gaze elsewhere and scanned the room. She picked up the Can Hong sword, walked around, searching under the bed and behind furniture.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm looking for the children."

"They're not here. Xiao Yu has taken them elsewhere."

Saying nothing, Chu Qiao walked to the door

"Where are you going?" Yan Xun followed her and placed his hand on her shoulder to halt her exit.

She swung around. "There's no reason for me to be here now. I'm going to find the children and then I'm going home. It's been a long night and I prefer to spend it with the man I just married."

"Just like that? You will settle down and become the daughter-in-law of a noble house?"

"Will I ever be the ideal daughter-in-law of a noble family? It's hard to say but I like the idea of having a family to go home to."

That statement signalled the death knell to all of Yan Xun's hopes of persuading her to remain by his side. It was a blow to his fixation. Catching her unawares, he swiftly threw his arms over her to stop her from leaving. He tried to force himself on her as she resisted strenuously his attempts to lock lips with her. At the same time she wrestled hard to break free of his hold. When she was finally able to manoeuver herself into position, she kicked his shin, throwing him off kilter and freed her hand to slap him across the face. He recoiled momentarily but recovered sufficiently to whip out a small dagger and threaten her with it.

The lady did not hold back in her condemnation. "Yan Xun, such a cheap, despicable move is rather beneath you. Or perhaps you really have been reduced to new lows out of sheer helplessness."

"When Yuwen Yue sees you in this state he will wonder…" The underlying tone in his speech had turned sinister.

"He has nothing to wonder about. Whatever you were hoping to achieve tonight, you are too late. I have been his woman for some time and I'm already expecting his flesh and blood."

From confusion, surprise, horror, and deep pain, the gamut of Yan Xun's reactions took shape in the contortions of his face, in the end reduced to a mere whisper.

"A'Chu…" was all Yan Xun could muster. The rest of his thoughts were caught in his throat and the room seemed to be spinning all around him.

Chu Qiao took advantage of his momentary disorientation and elbowed the dagger out of his grasp, letting it fall to the ground. With a quick turn in her foot, she flicked it to the other side of the room. When he stretched out his hand to touch her again, she punched the injured shoulder causing him to wince and stagger to the ground.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you. I'll leave it to others more qualified. Maybe someone who's a victim of this current standoff. There's too much history between us for me to try anything."

"A'Chu…" The outlawed prince whispered hoarsely. "I have missed you. If it hadn't been for…"

Chu Qiao knew that it was time to make her exit. She'd said her piece and heard as much as she needed to. Her future was no longer with Yan Xun but beyond that door.

"You should probably think about leaving too, Yan Xun. His Highness, Prince Xiang will come looking soon and I don't think he'll be as forgiving as I."

Saying that, she opened the door, walked out and slammed the door behind her.

As she strode some distance away from the hut, A'Jing was hot on her heels running after her.

He stopped to catch his breath. "Miss A'Chu, he _really_ has missed you." He shouted from behind her.

Not skipping a beat, she kept walking and shouted her response. "Take good care of him, A'Jing for as long as you can. He will need you."

She didn't bother looking back even once.

* * *

Xiao Yu glided and leapt through the greenery as fast as her _qing gong_ would take her. Her unknown pursuer was steadily gaining on her, weaving through the trees making no attempt to conceal their presence. She surmised that it was one of Yuwen Yue's Eyes of God minions who had been tailing her since she left the hideout. No doubt that Yuwen Yue had deduced that the children were not in the cottage but hidden elsewhere. Xiao Yu was too preoccupied with outrunning her pursuer that she had not considered the possibility of someone lying in wait for her on the other end.

Her reflexes were tested the second she was greeted by the abrupt appearance of a pair of chain daggers swirling towards her at top speed which she avoided by a hair's breadth. The chain weaponry's effectiveness multiplied when the element of surprise was in play but once deployed, it lacked the necessary adroitness for one-on-one combat. The princess Liang was now ready for her attacker. It occurred to Xiao Yu that this new addition to the fray was one of those annoying Afterlife Camp types that Yuwen Yue recruited after distributing the antidote. On that occasion she had experienced the biggest shock of her life to discover that the head of a rival spy network, an enemy agent was her anonymous correspondent, someone she had come to admire deeply. The intelligence and warmth imbued in his letters was what attracted her to him. A love match, however, it was not to be. The successor to the Eyes of God only had eyes for that former slave who turned out to be the elusive Luo He's daughter that she'd been searching for.

Unfortunately for Xiao Yu, the chain attack slowed her down allowing her yet unknown pursuer time to catch up and to make a move. Xiao Yu unsheathed her blade quickly to dodge a frontal attack. She leapt and swung her sword offensively in quick slashing movements to intimidate her opponent. However, this gave the ex-Afterlife Camper the opportunity to unleash the chain blade and hook the princess leg. The princess valiantly attempted a mid-air somersault to untangle herself but the Afterlife Camper was too quick with the second chain blade, dragging the princess down to the ground.

"Your Highness, we meet yet again."

To Xiao Yu's unerring disgust it was that former Afterlife Camper who had readily volunteered to become Yuwen Yue's first test subject for an antidote. "You again."  
Just as Meng Feng was about to say something, Xiao Yu's mysterious assailant made a bid to strike Xiao Yu with her sword. Luckily for the princess, Meng Feng acted quickly and prevented an untimely death.

"This woman is dangerous," The assailant was a woman. "She should die before anyone else gets hurt."

Xiao Yu who had been relegated to being a bystander in this transaction had a feeling that she knew her assailant.

"She can't die yet. My master seeks information that only she has." Meng Feng countered.

"Who is your master?"

"Young Master Yuwen Yue."

"The Young Master of Qing Shan Yuan?"

"The very same."

"How can this be?" The unknown female asked suspiciously. "Your weapon, style of fighting… you are a member of the Afterlife Camp."

"I was a member of the Afterlife Camp but Young Master Yue gave us the antidote and saved our lives. Some of us decided to follow him afterwards."

The assailant stared at Meng Feng as if trying to make sense of what was said. Leaving that aside momentarily, she then took to circling the princess like a predator eager to pounce on her prey. Rather than pouncing, she resorted to kicking her prey with extreme vehemence, eliciting an involuntary yelp from her.

Then the woman said to Meng Feng, "What do you want with the princess?"

"She kidnapped some refugee children earlier today and has hidden them in an unknown location."

"You're not getting any information from me unless we make a deal." The princess spoke up. "Yuwen Yue himself needs to be here to make it."

Xiao Yu was tiring of a conversation that she had no part of and was quietly trying to wriggle away from the other two while they were preoccupied. Before she could move another step further, Meng Feng pulled the chain and dragged her back.

"Is that all?"

"Yes, it is my job to extract that information from her."

"And afterwards you will let me have her?"

"Feel free. I will have no use for her afterwards."

At this point, Xiao Yu piped up, "I remember now where I've heard that voice before. You are Xia Cong."

"Yes, Princess Xiao Yu, it's Xia Cong." The woman said. "And I'm going to enjoy watching someone extract information from _you_."

Xia Cong turned to Meng Feng and asked, "Is it a painful process?"

"Not especially but the real pain is in not being able to control your mind."

"This should be interesting to watch."

* * *

Minutes after Chu Qiao flung the front door shut, Yuwen Yue climbed in through a back window. In one hand he held the Po Yue sword and in the other, a jar of fine wine. He ambled to the table in the middle of the hut and set them down in front of a wary Yan Xun who was nursing his mounting injuries. Yuwen Yue unsealed the jar, sat down and took a gulp from it. When he was done, he wiped his mouth with his hand and slid the jar across the table as a peace offering to Yan Xun. The gesture was an invitation to a truce and a prelude to a dialogue between rivals. The tension between them was palpable but Yan Xun's curiosity overrode any misgivings he may have had. Mutual partaking of the wine would symbolize this momentary cessation of hostilities.

The prince of Yanbei took a sip and shoved the wine jar back. "I suppose you knew I was watching the whole time, didn't you?"

The young master caught the jar. "I had my suspicions. I knew that someone was watching and doing not much else."

"So you set up this elaborate trap for me. This is my comeuppance for disrupting your big day."

"It wasn't a trap. It was never devised to be a trap. It was merely a scheme to control the conversation."

"Controlling the conversation? Did you think I was interested in having a conversation with you?"

"Not with me. It was Xing'er you were after obviously. But I don't think you were planning on letting her do much talking."

"Can't hide anything from you, can I?"

"We were once friends, Yan Xun. Brothers even. You may have changed but I know how you think."

Yan Xun took another swig of the alcoholic beverage before slamming the jar back on the table.

"You won. Isn't that what you want to hear?" He said with a notable lack of sportsmanship.

The young master shook his head. "You may find it hard to believe but I'm not here to gloat. You're the one who disrupted my wedding, remember?"

"I had to try."

"I had an inkling you might. Of course, I was obliged to stop you."

"So this is our fate… forever locked in mortal combat…"

"Whatever fate it is you think we have, it ends tonight."

"So you're going to kill me after all."

"Kill you? If I were going to kill, you'd be dead already. No, Yan Xun, I'm not you. I'm not interested in vengeance. You may not have started this nightmare but you made it worse. It's the innocent commoners that have paid for your revenge."

"It's collateral damage."

"You see, you say that so easily. It rolls off your tongue and you wonder why you lost Xing'er. And no, you didn't lose to me. I didn't defeat you. In the end what happened was that we both got exactly what we wanted."

At that point Yuwen Yue got up, picked up his things and made his way to the front door.

"Keep the wine. You're going to need it."

"Thanks." Yan Xun raised the jar in a mock toast.

"One more thing, Your Highness… If by some miracle you manage to survive this evening, stay away from my wife. Next time I won't even bother firing a warning shot."

* * *

"You didn't kill her, did you?" The one called Xia Cong asked.

"No, she's only been rendered unconscious. But she will awaken soon."

"What did you give her? It worked like a charm."

"It's a truth drug. Our master's special concoction."

"Tell me, is it true that the Young Master of Qing Shan Yuan has married a woman named Chu Qiao?"

"Yes. This very day."

"You said he saved your life."

"Yes."

"Is he a good man?"

"Yes. He gave me my freedom without expecting anything in return. Gave us all our freedom in fact. When he set us free from the Afterlife Camp, told us to live our lives freely and warned us not hurt anyone with our skills."

"But you chose to follow him. Why?"

"A few reasons, I suppose. When the Afterlife Camp leader died, I didn't have anywhere to go. I don't have family and being a contract killer was all I knew. After being treated like someone's chattel for so long, someone had given us the chance to regain our dignity."

"I see."

"I had skills that could be useful and I wanted them to be of use to someone. Young Master Yue seemed like a wise man and I thought he would use my skills well. He could have destroyed us but he chose not to so this was in part, my way of repaying his kindness."

The next question from Xia Cong took Meng Feng by surprise. She would never have considered herself an expert on all the ins and outs of normal human interaction after living for so long as a contract killer but the question posed seemed out of place in that setting.

"Do you think Young Master Yue is someone that can make a woman like Chu Qiao happy?"

To Meng Feng the question was strangely personal… eagerly personal. More importantly, however, it felt as if this Xia Cong had some kind of _personal_ investment in the answer, like she needed _reassurance_. It didn't come across as the question of a curious stranger but someone who had a personal stake in the answer. Meng Feng didn't know what to make of it but before she realized it she answered,

"Yes. Yes, I do. I have never seen two people more… Why? Why are you asking?"

Meng Feng stopped herself midstream thinking that an answer no matter how innocent might be used against the young master especially if the motives of the questioner were unclear.

Before Xia Cong could reply, Meng Feng heard a familiar voice calling her name from a distance. "She's coming. Why don't you ask her yourself?"

Xia Cong seemed uncomfortable at the thought. "It's nothing. I was just being nosy."

As soon as Chu Qiao arrived on the scene, Xia Cong bent over immediately to look at the princess who was beginning to stir and regain consciousness.

"Meng Feng, I heard that you were here in this vicinity lying in wait for Xiao Yu so I came to see if you needed help interrogating her."

"All is well, Young Master Yue gave me something to help expedite the process and break through the difficulties."

Xiao Yu in a semi-conscious state started mumbling to nobody in particular. "Young Master Yue… how dare you? Throwing me over for Luo He's daughter. All you men…"

"What is she talking about?" Chu Qiao was looking puzzled.

"I don't know. The mumblings of a drugged mind undoubtedly."

At that point Chu Qiao noticed Xia Cong who had conveniently averted her eyes elsewhere. "Have we met previously? Miss…"

"I was in pursuit of Princess Xiao Yu myself and came across Meng Feng here. I used to work for the Afterlife Camp too but this woman…" Xia Cong pointed at Xiao Yu, "… captured me, interrogated me and made me her prisoner. She wanted to know all the secrets of the Afterlife Camp."

"How did you escape?"

"I… I didn't. Prince Xiao Ce found me and got me out. I'm to take her back to Liang… dead or alive. I made a deal with Meng Feng to take possession of the princess as soon as she got what she wanted out of her."

"Xiao Ce, eh? That rascal has a way of inserting himself into things one way or another." Chu Qiao smirked knowingly. "How is he?"

"He is well and will be even better when he knows that his sister is in a position where she can't do anyone any more mischief."

"That's certainly something we can all be happy about I'm sure."

Xia Cong whistled and a horse seemed to canter out of nowhere. "It's time that I left."

She threw the princess onto the horse and mounted it herself. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Chu. Perhaps we'll meet again in the future."

She made a clucking noise, squeezed the side of the horse's girth and rode off in the direction of the Wei-Liang border.

"Interesting woman. Seems to be in a hurry for some reason." Chu Qiao remarked. "So, Meng Feng, what did you find out? Where are the children?"

"Not far from here… in a cave… several _li_ as the crow flies."

* * *

The outlawed prince stood at the edge of the cliff wondering how he got to where he was. It was pitch black save for a small torch that A'Jing was carrying. He was at a crossroad staring down an abyss of untenable alternatives. The desire to run had passed. What kind of future could there be now that a love he had staked his life on had always been an illusion? Once upon a time, not that long ago, he had fought so hard to live and now he was back to that place of looking for his raison d'etre. She had been his reason for living. She had given him the courage to live again and now she was gone forever… abandoning their ideals… finding meaning and living with someone else. It had all been a mistake… she said… that they were never on the same page. Those words had cut deep and hurt… how could it have all been mistake? He had loved her with a certainty that he couldn't find in himself. He'd been certain as a man could be that she understood his intentions. How could it have gone so wrong?

A sickening, late realization struck him like a slap to the face. He had been too late. He had always been too late where Xing'er was concerned. Belying the anger, her heart had already been given to someone else.

Pity was now a revolting word. Sentiments well meant… acts of kindness misconstrued as something much, much more.

 _I was the pitiful creature she adopted and revived._ He noted with no small amount of rancour.

 _A homeless child… fatherless, motherless child who needed to be rescued… a lost soul who needed hope. She chose me because I had nothing left to live for and no one left to live for._

 _We almost died together and lived together. Because I loved her I thought she chose me because she loved me. But no, she chose to follow after me because she pitied me. When I was no longer the pitiful creature that she saved, I was dispensable._

Yan Xun laughed wildly. Looking out over the precipice that would decide his future, all he could do was laugh at the cruel ironies of fate.

 _All I wanted was to give her a world free of slavery, a beautiful world where only peace would reign. The war was only the means… never the end. If only she had been patient and waited, I could have given her all that._

But Yuwen Yue… had always been a shadowy presence. From the start they had both wanted Chu Qiao. It had been a friendly tussle at first but when their relationship took a turn for the worst, Yuwen Yue became a hindrance and a festering sore… an object of enduring resentment. Next to Yuwen Yue, Yan Xun was only too aware that he was no match for the other man's talents. When they were the best of brothers, their rivalry was a jovial one but when circumstances took a turn for the worst, their desire for the same woman had brought them to this inevitable conclusion.

Was it inevitable? Yan Xun couldn't say. He had gone to war for her sake, so he said but when war came she didn't want it. Now it had become more apparent that she did not want anything that he was offering. That complete rejection shook him to the core. There was no rationale for the war now that she was no longer there by his side. No justification for his continuing it when she was no longer fighting side by side with him. The path he chose was riddled with mistaken beliefs about the state of things between A'Chu and him.

The look on her face when he tried to touch her would not leave him. The contempt, the revulsion… all made its mark. As she said, it was a shameful thing he did to her and regrettable particularly now when it was clear that he would never see her again. He was pathetic and it had been an act of temporary madness.

A'Jing, who had been looking on while his lord was pensively teetering on the edge of the cliff, was beginning to panic. He begged the prince to hasten his departure from Wei as their scouts had spotted a large troop heading in their direction.

"Your Highness, we need to leave now if we're to maintain some kind of safe distance between us and the Wei army."

"A'Jing. You should leave. No one knows who you are. You can have a fresh start somewhere. A new life, a new identity. Maybe start your own family."

"No, Your Highness, I swore to serve you in life and death. You can't ask me to leave you at a time when your need is greatest."

"Go… it's an order."

"No, I can't do this. "

"A'Jing, your loyalty is of great comfort to me but this is my choice. This is the place I choose to end everything. Here I will give myself over to Fate's heavy hand."

"No… Your Highness… You can't possibly…"

"Go, A'Jing. Live well. Heaven willing, I will see you on the other side."

Yan Xun took a few steps backwards and with a serenity he had not known for a long time, he took his final step before the natural laws of universe assisted his bid for the afterlife plunging him into the darkness of the chasm below.

* * *

Even from a distance she could see that the light in the safe house was still on. Chu Qiao assumed that the man she had married was inside waiting anxiously for her return. It seemed like an appropriate metaphor for all the waiting he had done since the day she ran away from the tower pavilion with a mountain of misunderstanding between them. Over time he had proven himself over and over again even at great cost that he loved her. It was time to stop making him wait for her to catch up to where he was. In her heart she was now truly resolved to be where he was for the rest of her life. She picked up the pace and then started running until she burst through the front door. There she saw Yuwen Yue and Yue Qi packing up with quiet efficiency.

"Yuwen Yue…" She stopped short of telling him that she missed him. She would have fallen on him and thrown herself into his arms impulsively if it hadn't been for the conspicuous presence of Yue Qi.

"You're back." He turned around and said matter-of-factly. "About time too. The children got back to their parents safely?"

"Yes, they did." She said. "Meng Feng made sure of it."

The young master nodded and continued with the clean up without saying another word while his new wife watched expectantly. She looked at him for signs of pining but Yuwen Yue had reverted to his inscrutable self. There were things she was bursting to say but didn't feel at liberty to do so.

Yue Qi with his usual astute powers of observation discreetly excused himself and left the cottage. The new young lady was obviously dying to be alone with her new husband and he could feel himself inconveniently in the way

As soon as he was out the door, Chu Qiao took her chance. "Don't you want to know what happened? Aren't you going to ask?"

"I had no doubt that you'd tell me once you were ready."

"You seem surprisingly reasonable for a man who was ready to kick down the door earlier."

"That was before you met with Yan Xun."

Chu Qiao was somewhat mollified but was becoming perturbed by his apparent lack of interest about her confrontation with Yan Xun.

"Nothing much happened, you know. I told him in no uncertain terms that I was finished with him." She said to gauge his reaction.

"I'm sure." The young master who seemed to be oddly indifferent.

Her mounting impatience had reached its limit. "Young Master Yue, you're becoming quite complacent, aren't you? Maybe I should have taken my time to return instead of rushing back. I should have made you worry. Now that you've got me where you want me, you don't feel as motivated, right?"

The lady stormed off and retreated into the corner of the room in a huff.

The young master decided that a timely intervention at this point was required and stopped what he was doing.

He went up to her and said, "Shouldn't you be glad that I trust you? Isn't that what you were angry about earlier? That I didn't trust you enough?"

"Well, that was different. I… I… Why aren't you excited to see me back?"

"I am. Always."

"But you're so… I don't know… blasé?"

He leaned over and coaxed her lips to a place of calm. "I'm never indifferent about you. You should know that by now."

"Aren't you the least bit curious?"

"To be honest, no. We've wasted enough time worrying about Yan Xun. The future of our happiness doesn't depend on what he does or doesn't do but on us. As long as we trust each other. That's what matters."

The wife narrowed her eyes at her husband, "On the matter of trust, I can't believe that you even included Meng Feng in your big plan but not me."

"She was willing and she's someone I can rely on to get the job done."

"I don't deny it, " The wife said sourly. "And is there something about you and Xiao Yu that you need to tell me about? Her speech was slurred but she said something which got me thinking that your relationship went much deeper."

"Oh that…"

"What is 'that'…?"

"She was a long time correspondent except that I didn't know that she was my correspondent. I thought it was a man."

"You're not making much sense."

"It's water under the bridge now." The young master reached over and planted his lips on his wife's nose. "It's nothing you should be concerned about."

"Are you going to tell me about all the women in your life sometime?"

"I think I could get happily accustomed to this."

"To what?"

"An insecure, jealous wife."

"I'm not jealous…" Before she could mount a full protest, her husband took full possession of her lips first with gentle sweeping movements. Gradually he felt her body unwind and capitulate to the rhythms of their lip dance to join in.

"Are you trying to seduce me into silence?" She managed to say when they finally came up for air.

"Why? Is it working?"

The lady nodded breathlessly. "Absolutely."

"Does it mean we can pick up where we left off earlier?"

"What are you waiting for?"

Outside the chief of the Yue guards saw the candle lights snuffed out one at a time. He grinned. It did his heart much good to see the young master happy with the woman he had loved for so long. There was a time he would never have thought any of this possible. The young master was not someone who wore his heart on his sleeve but despite the seeming nonchalance, for someone who knew the young master well, it was clear that Young Master Yue was leaking with happiness. It had been a tumultuous journey and Yue Qi was glad to have shared in its highs and lows. After some time sitting alone in the dark, he was joined by He Xiao and the two chatted for a while.

"Are you going to stand guard out here all night?"

"Probably. Someone needs to make sure that the young master and the young lady get some uninterrupted time to themselves on their wedding night."

"How about we take it in turns? It's been a long night. You take the first shift and then I'll do the next."

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

 _Author's Notes:_

 _Yan Xun in the background watching and stalking was always for me a metaphor for his lingering presence in their relationship. Even when he wasn't actually physically present, he would remain a perpetual, unspoken shadow cast over their happiness so this was an aspect of their history that they had to deal with once and for all. He was to my mind the final hurdle to overcome in this early phase of "togetherness"._

 _It has always been my belief since the conclusion of PA that the reason why Chu Qiao's relationship with Yan Xun never bloomed into romance is rooted in the very nature of pity itself. The more cynical amongst us might argue that the drama wanted to make XingYue the endgame so unequivocally that Yan Xun was hung out to dry from day one. While that may be, I think pity itself can be a plausible hindrance to romance because the one who pities perceives the one who is pitied differently. I won't go as far as to say that is impossible for romance to flower given the right conditions but if there's someone else involved in this dynamic then I think it can quite easily keep that relationship from going to the next level._

 _This was undoubtedly a talky chapter but to my way of thinking it had to be. It's my fix-it contribution to those final episodes where neither party were willing to say things to each other when things were deteriorating quickly between them. I also thought it was important to flesh out the later Yan Xun much more than the show did. The show would have benefitted from a Yan Xun that was far more than the Grim Reaper with French braids but sadly it was not to be. It pains me to say that Cheng Yuan ended up being a far more interesting villain than Yan Xun was._

 _I took a leaf out of our friend rampantwolfhound's fic,_ A Different Path, _by including Xia Cong here. Bringing in Xia Cong at this late stage certainly does open up the potential to explore another side to Chu Qiao's backstory._

 _I'm thrilled beyond words that some of you wrote in to say how much you liked the last chapter. It was one of my favourite chapters and it was important on some level that you all liked it too. While I write because I want to and there are ideas that just don't go away, I'm certainly not above fan servicing. :D And yes, I'm an equal opportunity jealousy inflictor._

 _I've always been a fan of how women in C dramas announce their pregnancy – "I have your/his bone and flesh (gu rou) already" – and luckily there's a nice, very close equivalent in English._

 _It's always fascinating to me that every third or fourth C-drama that I watch has someone taking a swan dive off a cliff. I imagine there must be some kind of metaphysical or existential symbolism in that act. It could well be that there are just that many cliffs in China and it's a relatively inoffensive way to take one's own life or to escape one's enemies._

 _There's just one more chapter waiting in the wings… hopefully a shorter one to just wrap things up._


	17. Win a Little, Lose a Little

In-Laws and Outlaws: Win A Little, Lose A Little

"So it is said that if you know others and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know others but know yourself, you win on e and lose one; if you do not know others and do not know yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle." – Sun Zi, "Doing Battle" in _The Art of War_ (Trans: Thomas Cleary)

 _A/N: Never fear. All questions will be answered._

* * *

A local woodcutter from a nearby village was sitting on a rock at the bottom of the gorge resting from his morning labours. He had taken a different route this very day from the one he usually took and was looking for an excuse to lay down the bundle on his back even for a short time. Truth be told, he was really looking for a reason to delay returning home. He stared at the pile of deadfall he had collected and was mulling over how much he could get for it in total. Bartering was his primary means of putting food on the table for his enlarging family and it didn't seem that the bundle he had gathered would do much more than that. His wife was always complaining about needing more money for one thing or another and her needs seemed to be a bottomless pit. While he was able to feed the family, it was a far cry from the life of plenty that his wife was hankering for.

Reflecting at the poor choices he had made in his life, the woodcutter sighed deeply. He uncapped his drink bottle and took several gulps of water to ease his parched throat.

It was while he was drinking that he noticed a pair of boots protruding from behind a boulder. Thinking perhaps that someone had thrown away a perfectly good pair for no apparent reason, it seemed to be the perfect opportunity to procure a new one for himself at no cost. To his great horror on closer examination, the boots were still firmly attached to a body of a man who from all appearances was quite dead. The woodcutter was naturally squeamish about corpses and prodded it with a stick from a safe distance. The result made him jump. He observed a slight twitch in the man's fingers and heard a barely audible moan. His first instinct was to run for his life but his better instincts compelled him to stay.

The woodcutter stood around for many moments racked with indecision. Would he take the boots and whatever else he could salvage and leave this young man to die or would he take him home? After all, the poor fellow seemed to be on the cusp of death and it would only be a matter of time before he found himself in the presence of Yama from the underworld. Besides, it was an inconvenience he didn't need.

He continued to deliberate over the next course of action until he saw a bright coloured object glimmering next to the body.

* * *

Yuwen Yue felt the rays of morning sun bear down on him as he stirred into semi-consciousness. With one sleepy eye opened he scanned his alien surroundings with no wish to move a single inch. The uncomfortably hard bed that he slept on was not his own. The room he passed the night in was not his own. In fact, the entire domicile wasn't his. But he had no doubt that the woman fast asleep under the covers beside him was his. Utterly and completely: Mind, body and heart. The inconveniences of passing the night in so unattractive a place were more than compensated for by the coy, cooperative antics of his beloved companion for life.

They were now truly wedded for life. Ceremony and consummation had finally come together. For better or worse. A storm had passed… an obstacle overcome… an important confidence boost to face the future. Undoubtedly there would always be other storms round the bend but there was a firmer belief that those too could be vanquished as long as there was an unerring commitment to stay together.

With both eyes opened looking nowhere in particular, Yuwen Yue shifted himself slowly and cautiously to face his bed companion in the hope of not waking her. The young master was developing new habits. Once upon a time he would rise from his slumber and make his way to his study to hold a briefing with his men. But this morning marked the dawn of a new era. He was no longer just the young master of Qing Shan Yuan but a husband too. A position he was satisfied that he had earned by crawling through broken porcelain. Basking in the glow of his new priorities the young master was loathed to rise. The desire to linger and watch his beloved who was blissfully, restfully oblivious to the outside world was too overwhelming to set aside. In the stillness of the early morning when only the twittering of birds could be heard, it was the choice moment to observe the contours of her sleeping face and her figure, the rising and falling of her breathing body with each quiet breath. The newly minted husband determined in that moment that the fascination of sharing this intimate space with his wife should never become passé with time.

Lost in admiration of her raw beauty, he lost all sense of time. He stretched out his hand several times to touch her but withdrew each time for fear of rousing her unduly. However, before long, he could hear the murmur of his Yue guards conversing in low tones and the shuffle of footsteps rustling through the grass outside. Duty was calling despite all his inner urgings to revel indefinitely in this rare feeling of contentment.

As he rose out of bed and planted his bare feet on the ground, he could feel a warm hand latch onto his arm. A sleepy voice from behind muttered.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"You're awake."

"Hardly."

"Did I disturb you?" He asked quietly, turning to face her.

There was no answer. Instead his lady combed for his whole person through the bedding and dragged him down towards her. She snuggled up to him, entrapping him in her embrace. The young master approved of this new morning ritual.

"Do you have to get up? Our wedding night was rudely interrupted." She said, still half asleep. "Whatever's happened I'm sure people will understand that you've just got married."

The young husband was sorely tempted and with the greatest reluctance he fought back the urge to remain stationary. "Something major has occurred unfortunately. The men are gathering outside and awaiting instructions."

"Really?" The lady instantly leapt to a sitting position scrambling for the sheets. She was now wide-awake and uncharacteristically shy. Reacting to this new piece of information, she pulled the blanket firmly over her filmy undergarments.

"You're fine." He leaned over to kiss her on the forehead. "You've nothing to be embarrassed about. You're a fine woman to look at."

His new wife went bright red and opened her mouth in horror.

"Yuwen Yue, you… pervert…" She threw a pillow at him, which he caught deftly. "Are you a brothel owner? I'm not some escort from a pleasure house."

"Good, I'm glad you remembered that. Get dressed." He remarked and threw her a robe which she caught eagerly. "You're my wife. Whatever's under there is for my eyes only."

"If you keep this up, I'm not even sure I want your eyes near me." She whined.

The young master did something unexpected. He cast a critical eye up and down his flustered wife and grinned boyishly. There was no doubt that he was gleefully looking forward to a lifetime of morning ritual teasing with his wife.

"I could really get used to this."

Her indignant response was confined to a death glare.

At this point, they heard a knock on the door, followed by an awkward clearing of the throat. On the other side of the door was Yue Qi who was diffident and hesitant.

"Young Master, um… my apologies for the intrusion but um… are you awake?"

Some time before the untimely intrusion there had been an intense game of rock-paper-scissors outside among the Yue guards to select a volunteer in their ranks to give the morning call. Fearing the outpouring of wrath that would ensue, the Yue boys had been indecisive about rousing their young master whom they assumed to be happily indisposed.

"Enter," The young master ordered.

Yue Qi blinked and opened the door timidly. He discreetly averted his eyes and had his back to the entrance as he awkwardly put his each foot across the threshold.

"Yue Qi, what's wrong?" This time the young lady spoke. "Something wrong with you? Are you unwell?"

"No, no, I'm fine."

"Turn around and talk to us then," said the young master.

Feeling much like a little boy who was expecting punishment for his misdeeds, Yue Qi turned slowly to face his doom. He wasn't sure what to expect but to his great relief, he saw both the young master and his new wife fully dressed. The new young lady was helping the young master with his outer robe and belt.

"You're behaving rather strangely." The young master frowned after seeing Yue Qi's anxiety-stricken face.

"My apologies, Young Master. I wasn't sure if it would be an imposition."

The young lady was grinning knowingly trying hard not to laugh.

"Stop dawdling man. Tell me what's so important that you felt obliged to impose first thing in the morning."

"It's… er… Prince Yan Xun… sir…"

Immediately the newly weds became alert.

"The latest report from the palace says he's taken his own life."

* * *

When Chu Qiao saw Yan Xun's armour and weapons at the cliff's edge, it hit home that he left this world by his own hand. Before that, she had been partly in a daze, but mostly doubtful that he would have taken such an extreme course of action. She fell on her knees in disbelief as the tears fell from her eyes.

"He really took his own life." She said in a strangled voice.

"It's not confirmed." Her husband reminded her. "His body has yet to be found."

"But this… the armour… the sword… It has to be true. He would never give those up easily."

"I am surprised and yet perhaps I shouldn't be."

"What do you mean?"

"Your final rejection last night must have been a huge blow. During those three years you were together you kept him alive, gave him a reason to live. When you parted ways at the icy lake, he clung on to the hope that the two of you would be reconciled. But when that didn't happen, he couldn't move on. He lost all hope."

They both fell silent. The mood between them became solemn. Neither looked at the other. Both felt sorrowfully alone in their thoughts. Yan Xun had been a friend that became an enemy so they could not be unaffected regardless of how their relationship with him had deteriorated at the end. Chu Qiao thought a while before thinking out loud.

"I ask myself, 'Is it my fault? Could I have said anything differently? Could we have parted ways more amicably?' These are the questions that keep running through my mind. " She said unhappily.

Young Master Yue who was expressionless as usual asked, "What's your answer?"

"I don't regret what I said to him last night. I can't. Because it was the truth… the pure unadulterated truth."

"Xing'er, it's not your fault."

"So why do I feel like it is? In my head I know what I said was right but…"

Chu Qiao broke off, struggling to find the words to piece together her thoughts in some coherent fashion.

Yuwen Yue said nothing for a time. When he finally spoke, there was a wistful sadness that Chu Qiao had never heard before.

"The first time I met Yan Xun was his first day at the Shang Wu Academy. In every way that was important we were complete opposites in personality. It was possibly why we got on so well. All throughout his time in Chang'an he kept himself away from politics so he could live carefree, as much as anyone in his position could. I never told him this but I envied him. From the time I was born, my future was planned out for me and from the time I was designated successor of Eyes of God my life was in constant jeopardy from my own relatives. Yan Xun might have been a hostage but in a real enough way so was I. He was a hostage in a foreign country. I was a hostage to my family obligations. Yan Xun dreamt of being back in Yanbei living like a free man. As for me, freedom was a pipe dream. My life belonged to the Yuwen clan and to the emperor."

"I knew from the moment you came to Qing Shan Yuan that he liked you. He offered me money once to buy you but I turned him down. It wasn't about the money, it never was. The truth was I was beginning to like you and I really wanted you by my side. But I envied him… envious that he felt free to show his feelings to the woman he liked… even more envious that once he returned to Yanbei, his family would have let him choose his own wife. You were both alike in that you held to those sorts of radical ideals. And perhaps if things hadn't turn out tragically for him, Yanbei could have been the closest thing to a happy, heaven-on-earth you were both looking for.

Chu Qiao listened in wonder. It occurred to her as he spoke so emotionally that this was a side to Yuwen Yue she'd never given much thought to. She'd been so busy condemning him in those early days that she never once understood his difficulties. All those misunderstandings that came about because she couldn't see past the surface and he wasn't free to say what he really wanted to.

"I'm sure Yan Xun blamed me in part for a lot of what happened to him and his family. I know he believed that I shot him that day when you both tried to escape. Ironically when the emperor was convinced that I had actually shot him, I was able to gain access to Jiu You Platform to protect him."

"Yuwen Yue… why didn't you…"

"It was easier to let everyone think I had turned against him but His Majesty knew better and I was sent to the border for my troubles. Not a day went passed that I didn't wish I had done more to protect the two of you. But it wasn't just the two of you I had to think of. There was Grandfather, the Yuwen family, the Eyes of God and the people of Chang'an."

"I've never heard you say any of this before." The lady remarked.

"Because it didn't matter to me what you both thought about me as long as you were safe and living. But even when he knew I tried to protect him in those three years, he was bitter because I couldn't set aside my obligations and completely stand with him. Regrettably he couldn't see things from my point of view."

"Why are you telling me this now?"

"It's easy to second guess oneself. There's probably enough blame to go around if we're going to play that game but at the end of the day, we make our choices based on what we know at the time. Yan Xun was as an idealist all the way to the end. It was all or nothing with him. He went to war to get his perfect world but realized too late that the perfect world without his precious person is a meaningless ash heap."

"You liked him, didn't you?"

"Very much. He was the closest thing to a brother that I had."

"Come to think of it he was like a brother to me too. I wished I'd realized that sooner. It would have saved us a lot of misunderstanding and grief."

"Which of us is perfect? Which of us has complete knowledge of who we are?"

* * *

Yuwen Yue stooped beside a patch of dried blood that was relatively fresh and examined it with the critical eye of an investigator. In his estimation he was standing in the exact location where Yan Xun's body would have ended up, had he fallen from the place he had left his sword. There were concentrated traces of activity in that spot and the blood spatter was confirmation of it. He deduced that there possibly had been a body present at one time. Either the body got up on its own and walked away or someone carried it off. The former was impossible, as the impact would have resulted in multiple bone fractures throughout the body, which would have at the very least rendered the individual permanently immobile. Bar a miracle, Yan Xun should have died from that fall. What was left was the question of why anyone would carry off a corpse and not report it.

Those were the questions that occupied the mind of the successor of the Eyes of God as he surveyed the scene. Any footprints that might have served as useful clues to this mysterious body snatcher were rendered useless by the additional footprints made by soldiers who trampled all over the scene. Several days after a company from the Chang'an garrison had traipsed through the gorge and surrounding area, there were still no answers regarding Yan Xun's whereabouts in the region. Thinking that it might be a trap or misdirection devised by Yan Xun's advisors, the young master dispatched a carrier pigeon to Yanbei to gain current intelligence pertaining to Yan Xun's army, which was rumoured to be a hotbed of unrest due to a lack of unifying leadership. Also when pursuing another line of inquiry, Yuwen Yue wondered if the disappearance of Yan Xun's body was linked in some way to Xiao Yu's capture by the mysterious Xia Cong. As far as he could tell, the connection was a possibility, as both women seemed to have also vanished without a trace.

Yuwen Yue decided to call it a day and head back home. He was very keen to see his wife of almost a week. Yan Xun's apparent suicide had put them both on edge in different ways and neither had broach the subject over the course of the week. There was a reluctance to make reference to it in conversation even while it was foremost in their minds. Still he'd been busy advising the palace about matters related to Yan Xun and Yanbei and Xing'er had been busy looking at properties for Shui Zhu, Xiao Le and her siblings to resettle in. Throwing herself completely into the role of advocate for the vulnerable, she had put together a petition to be brought before the court to have Ji Le Pavilion demolished and rebuilt into a shelter for vulnerable women and children. She'd also spent the better part of the week drawing up building plans and putting together a statement regarding how the shelter would be run and funded.

When the young master returned to Qing Shan Yuan he strolled around the manor in search of his wife around places he expected her to be in but there was no sign of her anywhere, not even the study. When he finally got to the bedroom, he was surprised to see papers containing drawings strewn everywhere and the woman herself lying in bed still with her boots on, presumably asleep. On instinct, he grabbed her wrist to feel her pulse and a short time later, a strange medley of expressions that comprised of anxiety, relief and disappointment passed over his face. As she had not really been sleeping, the young wife immediately opened her eyes and saw that her husband was sitting next to her.

"Oh you're back. Would you like some tea?" She started to get up but was gently prevented from doing so.

"Don't worry about it, someone else can get it. You look tired."

"Just a little. Haven't been sleeping that well."

"Are you having trouble adjusting to the new sleeping arrangements?"

"No, it isn't that at all." The wife looked somewhat embarrassed.

"I thought perhaps that you might have fallen pregnant." Yuwen Yue said matter-of-factly.

She searched his face intently. "No, I haven't."

"I know that now but your colouring isn't too good."

"I've… I've been having dreams… They keep me awake in the middle of the night." The lady said reluctantly.

"About Yan Xun? Why didn't you say something before?"

"Not about Yan Xun. They're about… my mother…her death… The people around her. They feel real."

"Too real to be dreams?"

"Yes…"

The husband lay on the bed and stretched himself out next to his wife. He slipped his arms around her and drew her under the crook of his arm.

"Are you thinking that perhaps they might be returning memories?"

"I don't know. Perhaps."

The young wife said nothing else and soon her thoughts flew to other matters.

"Yuwen Yue…"

"Hmmm…"

"Are you disappointed?"

"About what?"

"My not being pregnant… you not being a father yet."

"My dear Lady Wife, we only just got married."

"I know that… But it wasn't our first time… I just thought…"

"It happens when it happens." The young master said philosophically.

There was a long pause before the young lady finally brought up what was on her mind.

"I told Yan Xun that I was with child... your child."

"Did you?"

"I only said it to make him lose heart. I didn't mean to make light of it. He was very _persistent_."

Her husband said nothing so she continued with her line of thought.

"I know you want to have children. You said as much when we came back here. I don't want to make light of it. It's important to you… to us…"

"It's fine, Xing'er. You don't have to explain."

"I need to. Because I wouldn't have told someone I was having your child before telling you."

"I know."

"I thought you should hear it from me."

"You thought perhaps Yan Xun said something to me about it. He didn't. But I did overhear the last part of your conversation with him if that's what you're wondering."

"Why didn't you…"

"As I said, it's about trust. You did what you thought you had to. You drew a line and he tried to cross it."

"I'm surprised you didn't come barging in and tried to kill him." The wife grumbled at her husband's odd application of tolerance.

"I wouldn't say the thought didn't cross my mind but you handled it well enough that I didn't have to."

"So it was a test?" The young lady exclaimed with a touch of asperity.

"You can call it that."

"You dare use the word 'trust' and put me to the test? What sort of husband does that?"

"I wasn't putting you to the test. I was putting myself to the test."

"Huh… You're not making any sense," was the bewildered response.

"I had to trust you to do the right thing and to handle the situation on your own. Of course I would have come rushing in if he had the advantage over you but since he was injured, I didn't think he could do much harm."

"Well, he did enough." The wife muttered peevishly.

"I was always close by just in case things got out of hand." The husband said. He paused and then went on to say, "It was important for me to believe that you would be able to articulate your own arguments and prosecute them. Deep down I needed to believe that you really made those choices clearly and decisively without undue pressure from me."

The young master's wife sat up and looked like she was about to explode with exasperation but then seemed to change her mind. Her expression relaxed and she even managed a smile.

"Yuwen Yue, you think too much. For goodness sake, I'm a woman... your wife, not some political or battlefield strategy. Heaven only knows why I ended up with you. Now, I'm always going to be wondering if you've got something else up your sleeve."

"Someone's got to keep you on your toes. Besides, you can't say life isn't interesting with me."

"Don't get too big headed, Young Master Yue."

"There are people who prize my big head even if you don't."

"Tsk… What an arrogant rascal. However did I fall in love with you?"

"Just fortunate I imagine."

* * *

Woodcutter Li was happy to see the day helper. She was an attractive, cheerful little thing for the most part and was a great help with the children. On some level she was a child herself but there was something about those eyes that spoke of some deep tragedy in her past. But she was disinclined to talk about herself and nobody pried. All they knew was that she was an orphan who'd lost her mother and father who was now destitute and left to her own devices. That aside, no one needed to know anything about her beyond what she was capable of doing. Her skills were limited to various menial tasks like laundry, cooking and child-minding which were crucial services around the village. She was happy to be paid in cash, food or clothing. When she first started, she seemed amiably inept but over the weeks she'd improved a great deal. Generally she did her jobs cheerfully and was well liked among the village folk.

The woodcutter didn't know what he was supposed to do with the paralyzed man that he found in the gorge. He had a shiny gold medallion on him, which the woodcutter took to the blacksmith. Neither of them could identify the source or tried very hard to but eventually they melted it down and divided the spoils unequally between them. Li, who was feeling superstitious, didn't want to dispose of the paralytic lest some kind of bad luck would befall him but knew it was untenable to provide long term care to a man with a disability. He left the man in a hut in the forest and brought him food and drink once a day. The man seemed capable of speech but for reasons only known to himself, he refused to.

The day helper had shrewdly observed the woodcutter acting surreptitiously and followed him into the forest. She suspected a tryst at first, which wasn't surprising considering what the wife was like. But when the woodcutter left the door to the hut slightly ajar, it seemed unlikely.

When she got to the door, she peered in and saw the woodcutter tending to an invalid lying on a straw bed. Whatever she was expecting that wasn't it.

"Woodcutter Li, what's going on here? Who's this?" She exclaimed forgetting that she was the interloper.

"You followed me here. Just don't tell my wife about this."

"Who's this man?"

"It's someone I found at the gorge several _li_ from here. I think he jumped or fell off the cliff and ended up there. We don't know who he was and I didn't know what else to do. My wife will complain if I take him home."

The young woman wondered why the woodcutter hadn't reported this unknown male to the authorities. Perhaps there was more to the story than he was telling. But she didn't comment on that.

The day helper walked up to the man for a closer look. The moment she saw him she dropped her bundle onto the ground and staggered backwards in utter amazement.

"What is it? Do you know him?"

"Yes," she said after a moment of studying his face. "I was once betrothed to him."

"Really? What an amazing coincidence!"

The day helper nodded. "What's happened to him?"

"I'm no doctor but I don't think he will ever walk again. From what I've observed, I don't think he can see either."

After thinking a while, the girl formed a resolution. "Leave him with me. I will take care of him. I have no family anyway. Yes, I will take care of him."

"Will you? Thank you so much." The woodcutter was beyond grateful.

"But I will need supplies daily," said the day helper pragmatically. "Taking care of him will require time and effort."

"Sure, let me know what you need. But I'd better go now. My wife will be wondering where I am."

"I understand."

"Thank you so much, Chun'er. You're a godsend."

"It's what I should do anyway."

On his way out of the hut, the woodcutter first looked out the door to see if anyone was watching and then proceeded to make his way out of the forest.

When he was gone, the day helper sat down next to the paralytic and stared at him for a very long time before giving voice to her thoughts.

"This world is truly a small place. Brother Yan Xun, it looks like the fate between you and I isn't quite over yet."

* * *

 _Some weeks later…_

Yuwen Xuan approved heartily. Not that his approval mattered of course.

He'd been a bystander and that's all he intended to be. He came, he saw and was greatly comforted. But his brief spell in Chang'an was over. He was ready to return to his troops out at the border. Yan Xun's threat to the city had been diffused but there were still other security perils lurking about elsewhere.

The great general had packed what few earthly possessions he had brought with him and left a letter in his room. He hated goodbyes and now that Yue'er was happily married to a woman of his choice, there was nothing else he needed to say.

For a while he stood outside the courtyard and listened to the night time sparring that was taking place in the couple's bedroom. As the sounds permeated the wooden doors, his lips broke into a smile, which widened into a grin resulting in low chuckles. The great general shook his head. Yue'er was resolved to do things in his inimitable style. Clearly he was refusing to repeat his father's legacy with vengeful determination. He was going to protect his woman even if it killed her.

"Can we _not_ do this every single night, Yuwen Yue?" The young lady of the manor slumped on to the floor after an intense half hour workout.

Her husband sank down beside her more the pedagogue than a spouse. "You need to maintain your agility and vigilance at all times. One never knows when an attack is imminent."

"I am agile and vigilant… hyper vigilant as a matter of fact. I'm so vigilant that I'm killing flies without even thinking. My internal energy is far better than it used to be. Yuwen Yue, why can't you be a normal husband? Why can't we just do what ordinary husbands and wives do in the evenings and relax?"

"We're hardly ordinary people. There are people out there who wouldn't mind seeing us dead. This is why we need to be one step ahead of the game all the time. It's the price we pay for getting involved in helping the commoners, rocking the boat and getting embroiled in court politics."

"I wasn't trying to get involved in politics," was the belligerent response. "So you're now saying it's my fault for wanting to help."

"No, that's not what I'm saying. But if you and I are going to take on powerful people, we have to expect some kind of push back."

"Like the corruption scandal?"

"That and many others… "

"Are you thinking that Yan Xun is still alive?"

"Who knows? He might be. If he is, it seems like he's laying low for now. He hasn't returned to Yanbei and his army has practically disintegrated from infighting and lack of strong leadership. Nobody seems to know where he is, dead or alive."

In a calmer tone, the wife said, "Look, I know why you're doing this but you're here. It's not like you'll be travelling to some distant place on some mission with the Yue guards and I'll be left all alone with Grandfather in this big manor by myself."

She was expecting a comeback at this point but her husband had gone strangely quiet. So she turned to him and noticed the grave expression on his face.

"What? Don't tell me that you _are_ travelling to some distant place on some mission."

"His Highness has requested that I be deployed to Yanbei to keep an eye on things there and to assist Prince Yu with keeping the peace."

"How long have you known about this?"

"Not long. A week… maybe two."

"And when were you going to tell me?" asked the lady irately.

"I haven't decided that I'm going." Her husband said quietly.

"Why not? This is the perfect job for you."

"Because I handed in my resignation a while ago. Breaking the corruption scandal was supposed to be my last assignment for the court."

Chu Qiao remembered then what the prince had said about losing a good man in Yuwen Yue all those months ago.

"Is this about me?" She asked pointedly. "It is, isn't it?"

"I didn't want to put His Highness in an untenable position at the time because of the political climate and... your history with Yan Xun. I knew I had to make a choice and I did. Happily, in fact."

"Yuwen Yue…"

"I don't regret it."

"But your skills, your talents. This is your country… your home. You have done so much good for the people. You could do so much good. Think of the lives you've saved and protected."

"You are my home, Xing'er. We both went out on the icy lake and made very specific choices there. I chose you as much as you chose me."

The wife looked at the husband with tenderness and renewed respect.

"You should go to Yanbei. His Highness respects you highly and frankly, you are the best man for the job."

"But Xing'er, what about my promises to you? To build the cottage by the lake and live there? To roam _jiang hu_?"

"You're right about one thing. You and I are not fated to have ordinary lives. Whatever choices others have made for us in the past to make us who we are, it does not mean no good can come of it." The lady acknowledged. "That's what you were trying to teach me when I was first brought here. Power is a tool that can be wielded for good or for ill. Take us for instance. We were raised to be enemies and circumstances forced us to be on opposite sides but look at us now."

"Only one thing?" A hint of amusement flitted across the husband's lips. "I suppose I should be grateful that my persistence at re-educating you has borne fruit finally."

"Do you always have to spoil the moment? I'm trying to pay you a compliment, Husband."

"Compliment noted and received." The young master remarked. "But are you really fine about me being deployed to Yanbei?"

"Only if I come along."

"I had a feeling that you would say that."

"Someone has to look after you."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Can we take a break from the sparring now?"

"Isn't that what we've been doing? Maybe we could do something that ordinary husbands and wives do in the evenings."

"What do you have in mind?"

He leaned over very close and let his lips fall over hers.

* * *

 _Author's Notes: (Contains spoilers)_

 _And we are done. :D_

 _This is the ridiculous tale of how a 3 part story turned into 17 chapters going over 100 000 words. I did break a few personal records with this one (word count, record number of kisses, and action scenes… which I had never attempted on this scale…) and it certainly took me right out of my comfort zone as a writer._

 _Yeah, yeah... it was a bit cheap and nasty to lead everyone up the garden path with the pregnancy declaration. But I like my little twists... although it probably wasn't really a twist._

 _I had considered seriously about ending Yan Xun's life initially but then decided to take him on a different trajectory that could lead to future stories about his redemption. I liked early YX very much especially his bromance with YWY. I didn't even mind him having his revenge against the emperor but in the end he became the bloodthirsty monster he raged against. Who knows… maybe even he can find redemption. Or perhaps redemption will find him._

 _I wrote this story because I always believed and still do that many of the best parts of PA came when YWY and XE were doing things together. I have tried to replicate the dynamic that drew me into the drama and give it greater nuance while broadening its scope here. This story is also a tribute to drama YWY who really was doing an incredible juggling act all throughout the drama while making it look easy. One of our readers here called him her Chinese Mr Darcy but after rewatching some of the episodes, I reckon that he's a Darcy-Knightley combination with a dash of Henry Tilney ;) . Aside from being a polymath, my other favourite thing about him is his sense of realism. It always occurred to me even when his appearances were minimal, his perception of his world was usually pretty much on the money._

 _I am going to take a bit of a break from writing after this. This is a busy time of year obviously with Christmas round the corner and the end of school term. RL calls…_

 _Of course if there's enough interest out there, I could be persuaded to continue this story at a later time. :D I left a few things up in the air so that if I want to, I could take the story in a slightly different direction but still XingYue focused. (But of course.) The title is broad enough that I can accommodate a whole range of other characters and storylines. I'm also developing ideas for an experimental story in the PA universe that mixes genres. I may do a sneak preview if there's something of substance that can be posted down the track._

 _I want to thank a few people (Oscar speech coming up…) especially rampantwolfhound who has been a wonderful support to me personally in the matter of reviews and in our little PA chats behind the scenes. It is probably her first XingYue vignette/drabble on Soompi that got me inspired. If you liked this story, you should also thank cenching from Soompi who encouraged me to continue writing after Post Mortem when I was deliberating over the merits of doing so. jacksilveriris wanted loads of fluff in this last chapter and I tried to do so while not veering too much away from the themes I'd set up from the beginning. Many thanks to Ty, reallyseaweed, sros, linyliny, Eliatan Orama, Theary, xingxingyue for faithfully commenting after each chapter. You are all legends. Thanks also to Jane Dela Rosa for your thoughtful comments as always._

 _I should also thank the show runners of PA for doing such a spectacular job of butchering the backend of the drama that I was compelled to write not one but two fanfics to give myself the closure I needed._

 _For better or for worse, the quirks of this fanfic have been all mine._


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